“Nobody, and I say ‘nobody, believed in me [at the beginning].” Well, believe it or not, that is Giuliano Calza speaking. Designer and creative director of the star-approved cult brand GCDS, he is now a leading figure when it comes to joyful, out-of-the-box and unconventional fashion with his signature graphic designs, acid colours, cartoon-esque references and sexy pieces. However, his journey in the industry was not always met with such admiration.
Giuliano Calza, founder and creative director of GCDS. Artwork courtesy of IM alumna, visual designer and artist Constanza Coscia
Giuliano Calza, a guest at the latest Istituto Marangoni Milano event to launch his special mentorship, brought students into his inclusive, inspiring and playful world, making it clear that they should never be overwhelmed by criticism but believe in their uniqueness.
GCDS' Giuliano Calza is the mentor who will guide Istituto Marangoni Milano first-year students attending Fashion Design, Fashion Styling and Fashion Business three-year programmes
This was wise advice to inaugurate this new journey. As an I’M Mentor, in fact, Calza will guide first-year students of the three-year programmes in Fashion Design, Fashion Styling and Fashion Business in a unique project, offering them a unique learning experience in the fashion world.
Giuliano Calza with students at Istituto Marangoni Milano
Fashion is entertainment, fashion is hard work
Giuliano Calza has always prioritised being true to himself as the very essence of his work. This has become evident throughout his career, marked by successful collaborations such as with Barilla a few years ago and more recently with Pepsi, an international company that “communicates with everyone because you never have to lose your entertaining spirit.”
“I want to entertain with my fashion” – Giuliano Calza, founder and creative director of GCDS
Fashionistas have been obsessed with the GCDS Pickle Rick boots. Artwork courtesy of IM alumna, visual designer and artist Constanza Coscia
At the beginning of his career, Calza embarked on a journey to China with a dream, little money, and plenty of willpower. A brilliant Neapolitan, he always looks like an eternal boy with his fresh and high-spirited face. However, once he starts recounting his past, it seems as if he has lived multiple lives and has excelled in all of them.
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His achievements include a university degree, learning four languages to connect with people around the world, an internship at Blumarine, and a stop in the United States. Not to mention the restaurant chain where Giuliano Calza designed everything from the waiters’ uniforms to the furniture because his philosophy remains “to give free rein to creativity.”
Sleep rough, dream big
Giuliano Calza had always dreamed of breaking into the fashion system. His dream grew bigger during his time in China, where he worked hard to keep his job, even sleeping in a room full of boxes and repeating to himself that it was only a temporary solution because he knew he would be successful one day.
Come up with bright ideas, then achieve them
“If it’s smart, do it” – Giuliano Calza
A scientist father and a psychiatrist mother raised him to live everything to the fullest and enjoy complete freedom. This is precisely the essence behind his brand GCDS (short for God Can’t Destroy Streetwear), a label inspired by the potential for artistic expression and the way the Chinese used to wear mono-brand total looks at a time when the Western trend was no-logo.
A GCDS look designed by I'M mentor Giuliano Calza. Artwork courtesy of IM alumna, visual designer and artist Constanza Coscia
Calza’s personality is eclectic, non-conformist and irreverent, and it shines through in every collection season after season.
An Istituto Marangoni Milano student wearing a GCDS jumper attending the launch event of Giuliano Calza's mentorship
Hyper-connected with Gen Z, Calza immediately accepted Istituto Marangoni’s invitation to join their I’m Mentors squad. For this purpose, he is working on a special project that aims to strengthen students’ relationships with the fashion industry, giving them access to high-level training and preparing them for success in the world’s most dynamic fashion scene.
GCDS' Giuliano Calza at Istituto Marangoni Milano
Who’s better than an Italian who believes in Italy?
GCDS is a successful Italian story that owes its origins and global recognition to the courage and talent of its founders, Giuliano and his brother Giordano, an economics enthusiast with an innate ability to manage and ‘make money’.
GCDS cult pieces. Artwork courtesy of IM alumna, visual designer and artist Constanza Coscia
After returning from his experience in China, Giuliano Calza launched a brand that gained popularity collection after collection. GCDS has become an exciting and colourful project that has established itself in Italy and internationally from its very inception.
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The brand started as a social-oriented web marketing operation. GCDS is proof that something new and exciting can come out of a light-hearted mood covered in tons of sequins. The Calza brothers embody what it takes to achieve success: the imagination of Creative Director Giuliano and the business acumen of CEO Giordano.
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In the outstanding GCDS world, Dracula meets cute and kawaii Japanese manga characters while playing with sportswear handled like atelier creations in bold shades.
The guy who just made socks is fine
Today, Giuliano Calza dresses the world’s most renowned celebrities, who belong to his community and love the GCDS brand as much as he does, but he does not forget those who initially labelled him as “just the guy who makes socks.”
“Nobody, and I mean ‘nobody’, believed in me [at the beginning]” – Giuliano Calza
During a talk with the students at Istituto Marangoni Milano, the new I’M Mentor Giuliano Calza revealed that “nobody, and I mean ‘nobody’, believed in me. Except for one day, walking down the street, when Anna Dello Russo stopped me; she was obsessed with my vision of fashion”.
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However, his desire to make it helped him to keep developing his aesthetic sense, and he managed to find a series of appropriate situations to apply his artistic skills without conforming to codes and definitions, but with a curious, authentic and passionate approach to life. And to fashion, of course.
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Learn from those who trust you (and produce your collections)
The conversation shifted to discussing the people who inspired GCDS’s creative director throughout his career.
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If Giuliano Calza is the new mentor for talented students at Istituto Marangoni Milano, who were his mentors when he started out as a designer?
“I learned everything I assumed but didn’t know, directly in the factories and manufacturers that trusted me and began to produce my items” – Giuliano Calza
The experience that Giuliano Calza has gained in the industry has led to a continuous metamorphosis, yet keeping his inner essence unchanged. This certainty informs his vision for GCDS’s future.
“GCDS is and will always be a brand without boundaries breaking down stereotypes” – Giuliano Calza
Never procrastinate
Giuliano Calza's valuable advice to Istituto Marangoni Milano students. Artwork courtesy of IM alumna, visual designer and artist Constanza Coscia
As the conversation with the students came to a close, Giuliano Calza shared some valuable advice on how to gain experience in the fashion industry. He also mentioned that he will provide some insights into his role as an I’M Mentor, working to deliver an immersive and engaging experience for the students.
“My two cents? Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today” - Giuliano Calza
Giuliano Calza’s approach to fashion is infused with a joyful vision of life and positivity, resulting in truly magical designs. However, he is also a meticulous player who meets deadlines and never procrastinates. Aspiring designers should not miss the opportunity to learn from him.
Agnese Pasquinelli
Fashion Business, Digital Communication & Media student, 3rd year, Milan