WWD reports “I love strong, independent women who have made a name for themselves, with incredible energy,” said Giuliano Calza, founder and designer of Italian contemporary streetwear firm GCDS.
The brand is gearing up to debut a capsule collection codesigned with recording artist, dancer, fitness entrepreneur and social media phenomenon Teyana Taylor, who has 6.1 million Instagram followers.
The capsule collection, which is named “Harlem made,” pays homage to Taylor’s origins. “It’s streetwear, where the hood and high fashion meet. That’s always been me. It’s Harlem made, I am Harlem. So it represents me as well as the culture,” she explained. The lineup includes T-shirts, hoodies, bodysuits and accessories, which are priced from 20 euros for a pair of socks to 160 euros for a sweatshirt.
“Last summer, I was in Los Angeles and I came across this late Eighties T-shirt with [a picture of] Cher holding a rainbow flag in her hand, and it was one of her tour merchandise items,” explained Calza, who drew his inspiration from vintage items from that period. “Modern icons don’t communicate this strong way anymore,” he continued, highlighting that instead of chasing cool, the collection is aimed at celebrating Taylor’s uniqueness and diversity.
On April 6, 2018, GCDS is throwing a party to launch the collection in conjunction with the opening of the brand’s New York pop-up store at VFiles. The special collection will be available at VFiles headquarters at 12 Mercer Street through April 21, as well as on GCDS’ online shop.
