Representing the creative future

Garbage Core on building a brand in Italy and the hardships of production

On the weekend of the Italian election we sat down with Giuditta Tanzi to talk about keeping the Garbage Core magic alive in production

After their off-schedule Milan Fashion Week debut in June, Garbage Core founder Giuditta Tanzi talks about her craft-focused approach to fashion design, working exclusively with deadstock textiles and staying positive as a creative working through major global challenges.

Garbage Core’s expertly crafted garments are far from trashy. The label’s Italian founder and creative director, Giuditta Tanzi, a self-described ‘expert flea marketer and treasure hunter’, works with the steadfast philosophy of designing garments and accessories from discarded materials such as second-hand clothes, deadstock fabrics and vintage treasures; Creating something new and exciting out of things others have thrown away.

Offering a fresh, contemporary take on the current upswing of vintage and second-hand garments in the luxury industry, Tanzi previously worked solely on a made-to-order basis of one-off items; finely knitted cashmere corsets gathered silk shirts fastened with mismatched buttons, and reworked tailored trousers edged with antique lace.

After their latest show, Garbage Core announced the move to introducing a selection of production pieces in their future collections marking an exciting and transitional stage in Garbage Core’s story. On the weekend of the Italian election and during Milan fashion week we sat down with Tanzi to talk about keeping the Garbage Core magic alive in production, the struggles of a small brand, and staying positive in a constantly changing political landscape.

You founded Garbage Core in 2018 after you finished studying at NABA in Milan, what was the initial inspiration behind Garbage Core? Why did you choose to start your own line instead of going to work at a bigger brand or fashion house? 

Garbage Core was the name of my graduate collection at university so I never envisioned it becoming a solo brand later down the line. Garbage Core was created in a very slow and organic way, I chose to grow it from my graduate collection to a brand by following my instincts; using it as a way of expressing my creativity and interests.

The initial inspiration was a study of an aesthetic and trend I saw on Instagram and online; photographing trash and abandoned objects on the street, made me wonder why people were so attracted to trash and how it became an aesthetic.

My second inspiration was how everyday objects and garbage are used in the art world to create installations and art pieces. So I decided to see how that method could be used in the fashion world; using garments and textiles that someone no longer wanted, to create something new. All the materials I work with are sourced around Italy and the collections are entirely developed in our studio in a conscious and craft-driven way with attention to the smallest details.

“My creativity and inspiration are activated through second-hand clothing.” – Giuditta Tanzi, Garbage Core founder

How would you describe a signature Garbage Core piece?

A signature piece of Garbage Core is a garment which you need to look at closely to notice all of its details. Embroidery, broken buttons, linings with small trimmings along the edges; they’re all in a Garbage Core piece.

You work mostly with upcycled materials, vintage and second hand clothing, why is this important to  Garbage Core as a brand? What are the setbacks of working like this?

My creativity and inspiration are activated through second-hand clothing. It makes the material research stage of my design process fun, when you’re working with second-hand and upcycled pieces, it’s the materials which guide you through the process, and often inspire a newly finished piece.

That’s sometimes a drawback though, you can fall in love with a material but because it’s a one-off you can only use a certain amount, which can limit you in some capacities. But I think there’s a beauty in that, working with second-hand clothes allows you to create pieces which are inherently unique and unrepeatable, but obviously, that can be difficult when you’re trying to get your pieces stocked in shops and boutiques.

“It’s very difficult to grow as a brand when you’re only making one-off pieces and to be honest I got to a point where I could no longer afford to run the business that way.” – Giuditta Tanzi, Garbage Core founder

Your last show marked a move from made-to-order one-off pieces to production pieces, why did now feel like the right moment to introduce this? How will it change your design process? 

Making production pieces is a more accessible way to sell clothes. Whilst I think that creating one-off pieces is more magical and I don’t want to take this aspect away from Garbage Core, at the same time it’s very difficult to grow as a brand when you’re only making one-off pieces and to be honest I got to a point where I could no longer afford to run the business that way.

When you’re designing production pieces there are lots more aspects to consider than just making a standalone garment, which can sometimes be difficult. You need to think if a design is industrially reproducible or if it’s going to be too expensive to recreate.

How do you plan on you incorporating second-hand clothes and textiles into this new process? 

Although we are moving towards production pieces, most of the last collection still consisted of one-offs. For the new production pieces made from deadstock fabrics, many of the details are still made from vintage pieces, so each reproduction will differ slightly and be unique in its own way.

We put a lot of work into finding solutions to make the production pieces unique. Some of the tops for example are made of felted knit on the outside and shirting inside; each reproduction has the same fabric externally, to do so we sourced over 50 vintage pieces in the same colour and material, whilst internally the lining will always be different because we make it from second-hand shirts.

“I’m not 100% sure if Milan does fit Garbage Core, I find that we get more recognition outside of Italy, so for that reason, I think it could be nice to show in another city if our voice isn’t getting properly heard here.” – Giuditta Tanzi, Garbage Core founder

You did a show during Milan Fashion Week in June earlier this year. How does Milan as a city fit your brand? Would you ever show up in a different location?

We did an off-schedule show last June during Milan fashion week. It was important to me to do our first show in Milan so we could say ‘Hello! Hey! We also exist here!’ and to be able to show that small brands do exist in Milan alongside all the huge luxury fashion houses. To be honest, recently I’m not 100% sure if Milan does fit Garbage Core, I find that we get more recognition outside of Italy, so for that reason, I think it could be nice to show in another city if our voice isn’t getting properly heard here.

Tell us more about the collection and show you held back in June. What was exciting about it? What new themes were you exploring?

The collection didn’t have a precise theme, but it was created as an exploration of craftsmanship and garment construction. The show took place inside a flea market and the idea was that guests would sit on the objects which were for sale such as sofas armchairs and beds. I was most excited to present my work live for the first time and not just through images, which is what I’d been doing in the past

What was the process of planning a runway show like? Was it stressful? What did you enjoy?

It was stressful and exciting at the same time. My team consists only of myself and Roberto, my assistant and best friend. So it was challenging to manage everything. We’re incredibly lucky to have a community of friends around us who all work in various creative fields. We worked together as a collective in every aspect, which was such a beautiful thing to witness. What I disliked most was the stress of everything being left to the very last minute and fearing that something would go wrong.

“We definitely should still have Fashion Week, since it creates connections and networking opportunities that are very important if you run a small brand like me, but at the same time, I find the working schedule and the need for such high budgets crazy.” – Giuditta Tanzi, Garbage Core founder

There was a lot of discourse about the necessity of fashion week during the pandemic, How important is it for you as a designer to show your work in a physical format as well as digital? Why should we still have fashion week and physical shows?

For me a physical show allows me to show Garbage Core’s world in 360°. It’s not just about showing the clothes but also about the power of telling your own “tale”. And in my case I’m always afraid that photos don’t do my clothes justice, the details are lost in a photo and they lose the magic.

We definitely should still have Fashion Week, since it creates connections and networking opportunities that are very important if you run a small brand like me, but at the same time, I find the working schedule and the need for such high budgets crazy.

“Fashion month happening adjacent to the election in Italy where a far-right party won an election along with all the other global issues, made it very hard to have positive thoughts about the future when your own country is starting to represent everything you don’t believe in. ” – Giuditta Tanzi, Garbage Core founder

This fashion month is happening adjacent to multiple global situations like Brexit, Inflation, the War in Ukraine and currently the election of Giorgia Meloni in Italy. How has Garbage Core been affected by the changes in the economic and political landscapes? How do you see it impacting the industry in a wider sense?

Fashion month happening adjacent to the election in Italy where a far-right party won an election along with all the other global issues, made it very hard to have positive thoughts about the future when your own country is starting to represent everything you don’t believe in. In a wider sense, I think the people who are really affected by this crisis are the ones who were in difficult situations before any of this happened. In the context of the luxury industry, yes we’re suffering the consequences, but we’re not losing our privileges, not yet at least.

What more can the industry be doing to support emerging brands during these mass global events which are having serious knock on effects on designers and creatives?

In my personal experience, what young designers need are financial support and mentorship. I must admit that I started this project on my own, recklessly unaware of the challenges and over time I realized that making a brand work is not easy at all, so I think having mentorship would have helped with that growth. It’s something all young designers should have access to.

“During the first year, I worked alone in my kitchen with only two sewing machines, I had a second part-time job, and no one sold my clothes yet.” – Giuditta Tanzi, Garbage Core founder

Have you noticed any differences in running Garbage Core in 2022 from when you first started? What’s gotten better or worse? How are you coping with these drawbacks?

I’ve noticed many differences, as Garbage Core grew quite fast over the last few years. During the first year, I worked alone in my kitchen with only two sewing machines, I had a second part-time job, and no one sold my clothes yet. Honestly, it felt like Garbage Core only became a brand over the last year or so.

The thing I find most inspiring is that I’m still learning day after day, but at the same time I feel the weight of responsibility and a huge fear of not ‘being up to it’. I often find myself wondering why my brand should exist and feeling insecure about my work and creativity. That’s why the positive feedback I got from my work, and from the show is so important to keep going as well as keeping up the desire to express your vision.