The pandemic certainly brought in a new world order — one that Giorgio Di Salvo was committed to exploring with his spring United Standard collection.
The short movie that came with it was captivating and somewhat disturbing footage of a guy running away, perhaps in hopes of finding a land where no order is given and every rule has yet to be written.
Di Salvo knows the rules he wants to play by when it comes to fashion and offered a collection along the same lines and styles he’s known for, with uncomplicated looks nodding to the Nineties street scene. A subdued camouflage sweatshirt was paired with shorts in a sage nuance, while a utilitarian suit was crafted from cotton gabardine and splashed at the back with the image of a gas mask. Other motifs, including a gecko and the word “ghost,” recurred throughout the collection as a memento of the experienced distress.
Amid uncertainties, offering a safe collection has perhaps spurred a sense of comfort for Di Salvo. In his collection notes, the designer hinted at the fear and anxiety he found himself grappling with during lockdown, an experience that looked dystopian to the point he felt a “useless loser.”