In Simon Cracker’s upcycled fashion, punk is about acts of kindness
At Simon Cracker, the ‘Crack’ isn’t just a sound; it symbolises radical transformation.
Upcycled fashion unveiled at Milano Fashion Week with Simon Cracker's mesmerizing 'La Nanna' Fall-Winter 24/25 collection. Photos by Nick Soland, courtesy of Simon Cracker
Founder and creative director Simone Botte, along with consultant and brand coordinator Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi, elucidated this during a talk hosted by Istituto Marangoni Milano. The conversation was linked to “I’m Conscious,” a new project in collaboration with Sara Sozzani Maino and Fondazione Sozzani dedicated to second-year students of Fashion Design, Fashion Styling, and Fashion Business.
Simone Botte and Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi from Simon Cracker at Istituto Marangoni Milano
Philosophy of Rebirth: Breaking the Old for New Beginnings
“Breaking something old is the starting point for a new rebirth—a philosophy ingrained in the brand’s DNA,” stated Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi.
Looks from Simon Cracker's 'La Nanna' Fall-Winter 24/25 collection. Photos by Nick Soland, courtesy of Simon Cracker
Simon Cracker, with its punkish attitude, embraces a genderless identity and friend-casting ethos, shattering societal norms and challenging the predictability of fashion cycles.
Rebellion Beyond Clothing: A Departure from Fashion Conventions
It’s not just about clothing; at Simon Cracker, it’s a rebellion against the status quo, an invitation to celebrate constant reinvention, like the Japanese vases, broken and painted with gold, elevating them to newfound significance, a departure from Western ideologies.
Students attending the talk hosted by Istituto Marangoni Milano with Simone Botte and Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi, the creative duo behind Simon Cracker
The word ‘Crack’ becomes a sensory experience, resonating with the noisy shatter of breaking, the tactile scratching of lips and the aromatic essence of fresh crackling bread.
Creativity Rooted in Scarcity: Turning Limitations into Opportunities
This cracking DNA and creativity are rooted in limited resources and the necessity of making the most of them. While it may seem to hinder the creative process, this unique approach paradoxically strengthens the brand’s aesthetic. Simon Cracker, much like the legendary Martin Margiela, has turned scarcity into a mantra for an aesthetic revolution.
Looks from Simon Cracker's 'In Teoria' Spring-Summer 24 collection. Photos by Nick Soland, courtesy of Simon Cracker
By embracing scarcity, the brand finds boundless inspiration and redefines limitations as opportunities to explore new concepts such as Punkindness, Upcycling and End-Of-The-Day.
Punkindness: Redefining Punk as an Act of Kindness
“Being punk means shocking people by being kind and saying thank you” – Simone Botte, founder and creative director of Simon Cracker, and Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi, consultant and brand coordinator
In Simon Cracker’s world, the definition of punk goes beyond the idea of rebellion. Punk is about astonishing people with gratitude, a mindset that challenges the mainstream view that often overlooks the importance of kindness.
Simone Botte and Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi took to the catwalk for the final greetings of their Simon Cracker FW24 show in Milan. Photos by Nick Soland, courtesy of Simon Cracker
Simon Cracker’s Punkindness is not the same rebellious punk movement of the ‘80s. Rather, it’s a modern concept that uses the scarce resources of gratitude and eco-kindness to create positive change in a world that desperately needs it.
Revolutionary Aesthetic: Childhood Memories and Upcycling
The brand encapsulates a revolutionary aesthetic inspired by the observation of individuals navigating the streets, with the sole purpose of crafting garments that authentically resonate with each person’s uniqueness.
Simone Botte and Filippo Leone Maria Biraghi from Simon Cracker at Istituto Marangoni Milano
This inspiration is deeply rooted in childhood memories, particularly those that form the foundational pillar of Simon Cracker, namely Upcycling.
“It was my grandfather who inspired us with the idea of upcycling; he was the one who taught me how to give a second chance to already used object” – Simone Botte, founder and creative director of Simon Cracker
Influenced by Simone Botte's family, upcycling is a prevalent theme in every collection. Simon Cracker reworks the concepts of second-hand by deconstructing, soaring, and rebuilding pre-existing garments, leftover laundry, and fabric waste, creating collections that are a fusion of the rebellious spirit of the “But No” fall-winter 23/24 show with the dreamy, half-awake, End-Of-The-Day atmosphere of the “La nanna” fall-winter 24/25 catwalk.
Looks from Simon Cracker's 'La Nanna' Fall-Winter 24/25 collection. Photos by Nick Soland, courtesy of Simon Cracker
The collection is a poignant statement for a world that needs to slow down and savour the emotional state of thoughtless relaxation, similar to the moments just before falling asleep.
Sustainability Challenges and Unleashed Creativity
Despite its rewards, navigating the intricate world of upcycling is no easy feat. Sometimes, mismatched fabrics can throw a curveball, making the remixing process a true puzzle. Yet, it is in these challenges that the magic of Simon Cracker’s collections unfolds. Out of necessity arises creativity, and it’s precisely in these moments of fabric mismatch that the brand creates its most exceptional and captivating pieces. In the world of Simon Cracker, complexity doesn’t hinder but sparks brilliance, unconventionality and rebelliousness to a fashion system that is now considered obsolete.
Diletta Moschella
MA in Fashion Promotion, Communication & Digital Media, Milan