Football, Tom & Jerry and properly over-the-top sunnies.
God Can’t Destroy Streetwear clearly has some sort of divine power on its side. In just four years, the Italian label has progressed from producing a first run of one hundred spellout sweatshirts to being sold in 350 shops worldwide.
It’s no wonder. If God can’t destroy it, it’s clear that head designer Giuliano Can Design Streetwear. The label’s success has been via the strength of its image, its DNA equally zesty and zany. Its past collections have seen science fiction motifs, colour-changing lipsticks and tons of eye-popping colours.
Its most iconic moments? Triple breasted models and a subsequently genius use of Tattoo Studio eyeliner to create trippy, oversized irises.
This time around, there are no prosthetic impossibilities or serotonergic eyeballs. Instead, the mood of GCDS’ AW20-21 collection (titled Vico Stella 10) is a lot closer to home: it’s an ode to Naples, Giuiliano’s hometown. He’s played with the city’s unique sense of ‘extra’ by zealously clashing colour palettes and incorporating over-the-top accessories.
Like previous collections, there’s a strong focus on the ’80s and ’90s. Era-defining blues and pinks join forces with low waistlines and flared trousers, while eye-popping details (hello tiny crystals) give a pop of pop culture to proceedings. Menswear is less street style and a little more sartorial—the ever-so-trendy blend of high and low fashion that’s still got its imprint on every catwalk around.
A few different collaborations are part of the party, too. Tom & Jerry, who apparently had their own jolly in Naples in a 1950s episode, have found their way onto some patchy fleeces as a continuation of GCDS’ playfulness with iconic cartoon images.
There’s also a debut full eyewear collection with Marcolin (Guess, Diesel, Tom Ford, Moncler), matched with a disco-ready green shirt on buzzy model Alton Mason. The other hot accessory of the collection? A wearable Bialetti Moka coffee pot—cool beans, literally.
Finally, tapping into the football shirt trend, GCDS have teamed up with SSC Napoli to produce an exclusive capsule intending to bring fashion into football rather than the other way round. A blue Napoli logo jumper, the hero piece, is absolute goals.
Basically, it’s the usual madness you’d expect from GCDS but with a tribute to his hometown added in.
Fingers crossed we’ll get a pizza capsule next.
