Fashion Should Look at Winemakers, According to MSGM’s Massimo Giorgetti

MILAN — Massimo Giorgetti’s most attentive Instagram followers might have noticed the MSGM founder and creative director has a new passion.

In between fashion content from his shows and collections, others dedicated to art and design and glimpses of his personal life and weekend getaways, wine bottles have been popping up as subjects of his stories. 

The designer has gradually unearthed a world of new, biodynamic and indie wine labels, local wineries and young entrepreneurs, which sparked his interest as much as the latest exhibitions in Milan. Add his penchant for collaborations and for constantly penning love letters to his adopted city and MSGM’s latest project is served.

Dubbed “I Bar di Quartiere,” or “The Neighborhood’s Bars” in English, the initiative consists of partnering with four indie hot spots in Milan, scattered across different districts and launched by a new generation of entrepreneurs with a focus on sustainable winemaking, enhancement of the local territory and promotion of artisanal wines.

The tie-up comes with dedicated merchandise and four different events beginning Monday — each day in one location, with a different DJ set. The activation promises to offer a festive lead-up to the weekend, which will mark the celebrations of Milan’s patron and, as per local tradition, the official start of the holiday season in the city.

For Giorgetti, this is not a marketing move but one initiated by the belief that fashion should take a page — or two — from indie winemakers’ playbook. The authentic storytelling these players offer, linked to nature and evoking a simple, slow lifestyle, as well as their ability to create feel-good moments around convivial occasions without the razzmatazz often surrounding fashion events is what the designer appreciates most. 

He had a taste of such a vibe last week, when he staged a talk about winemaking and a rustic aperitivo at the MSGM headquarters. The turnout was double what was expected.

“There was something in there that we [working] in the fashion industry have to grasp — and fast,” Giorgetti told WWD. “In this moment, life wins. Weekends win. Well-being wins, which is not only about sports or yoga. Well-being can be also a beautiful dinner.”

“I love the storytelling that comes with [the winemaking] world, which is so linked to the territory, to family histories, to artisanal products. It’s not filtered by a marketing team, it’s authentic and raw. I would like to return to that [gut feeling] with MSGM, too,” the designer continued. He teased he is indeed plotting to opt for “more underground and unexpected” concepts for both the MSGM menswear presentation during Milan Fashion Week in January and the women’s fashion show the following month, to be more in sync “with these new energies.”

The “I Bar di Quartiere” initiative is not new for Giorgetti, who has always put social gatherings and in-person connections at the core of the MSGM brand. Yet in the past he mostly focused on linking up and celebrating historic pastry shops and landmark locations, ranging from Gattullo and Pasticceria Cucchi to Jamaica and Bar Basso.

“I liked the idea of leaving the posh streets of the city center and going a little bit outside, because the city is changing, is expanding and this is such an interesting phenomenon to analyze and live….So we looked at different districts, more democratic and inclusive,” he said.

Giorgetti zeroed in on four names offering a new take on neighborhood bars: Palinurobar, which evokes Milan’s ‘80s charm; Section80Bar, a brutalist space doubling as a cultural hub; Ultramarino, devoted to Mediterranean flavors, and Minerale, a contemporary cellar with a minimal interior.

“I already knew and spent time in two of these, the others were picked after doing some research and via word of mouth…but all have a little bit of MSGM factor, in their own way,” said Giorgetti, comparing Palinuro’s bourgeois flair and Ultramarino’s sea theme to the duality that runs in his brand. 

“But it has been a massive effort to involve them, as they are different one from another and have a diverse audience,” continued the designer, underscoring he’s been working on the project since May.

This is also due to the fact that in addition to fashion and lifestyle merchandise, he collaborated with the bars and wine companies, such as Il Torchio and Foradori, to develop four wines.

The bottles will be available to purchase at the bars and at MSGM’s flagship in Milan and e-commerce, along with the rest of a capsule collection that includes hoodies, T-shirts and baseball caps bearing the brand’s logo mixed with four graphics created for each bar, ranging from the illustration of a woman surrounded by glasses for Palinurobar and a classic gramophone designed for Section80Bar to a mermaid motif channeling Ultramarino’s spirit and tarot cards with a “Knight of Cups” figure for Minerale. 

A logoed wine bag and corkscrew add to ceramic plates with the same illustrations and crafted by artisans at Ceramica Artistica Solimene in Vietri sul Mare, Italy. The capsule collection will retail at prices ranging from 15 euros to 140 euros.