Born of the space where the physical and digital overlap is A Better Mistake, the Italian brand whose core message is break the rules: code your own sense of self. It is no wonder that things are going so well for Simone Ferraro and Marco Agnolin, the founders, whose self-assuredness seems to drive them forward with their ABM community.
The Team of Mistakers affirms that A Better Mistake is not just a fashion brand, it's a space where art, music and hybrid and sustainable fashion merge into each other “chapter after chapter”. In addition, when it comes to designing, the first step is find the right colours, and the silhouette and next they source deadstock fabrics, which respect the environment. “Sustainability is a key point of our project, something we want to improve year after year”, assures Ferraro.
Working with very limited runs, the brand has already collaborated with musicians and artists such as VTSS, Nim Morrison or Fabio Weik. But soon, the founders will surprise us with collaborations and projects that must be followed closely. They have a lot to come. And it is that freedom of expression has no limits.
Working with very limited runs, the brand has already collaborated with musicians and artists such as VTSS, Nim Morrison or Fabio Weik. But soon, the founders will surprise us with collaborations and projects that must be followed closely. They have a lot to come. And it is that freedom of expression has no limits.
For starters, who is behind the Italian Brand, A Better Mistake?
Apart from myself and Marco, the co-founder, there is the Team of Mistakers. Millennial and Gen Z professionals devoted to developing products and communication.
You say that “a broken glass represents your actions”. What does this mean? Are disobedience and destruction the key to the designs?
It's a metaphor for breaking standards. We believe in the importance of personal identities as a unique journey towards the discovery and expression of our selves. We choose to be disobedient to the illusion of freedom, to pre-defined paths and ways of thinking. We encourage creativity as self-expression and a catalyst to self-growth.
With your fashion pieces, you explore the human body across physical and digital spaces. Where did the idea of playing between the real world and virtual futurism come from?
I think it belongs to the present, as a mirror of a specific moment. We are living in a very unique moment in human history. Physical and digital spaces are overlapping; creating new opportunities for self-expression beyond the body and natural limitations. The two worlds are complementary, fluid, there are no boundaries in between them and it makes sense for us to jump from one to the other finding stories to tell and characters to meet.
Could you say that A Better Mistake is a hybrid brand? Who is your audience?
Yes, it is completely hybrid. Our audience is whoever is not stuck on one specific idea, someone who is fluid and dynamic. It’s a person that likes to put [a form of] self into the game, who looks for opportunities and alternatives of self-expression. I think fashion should always be an opportunity, not a limitation!
Photography ALESSANDRO MESCA, Graphic OBBY & JAPPARI.
Could you tell us step by step what your creative process is like?
We always start with the message. Once we have that we start building the story, designing the characters, their interactions, chapter by chapter. This is then translated into collections. A Better Mistake is not just a fashion brand, it's a space where art, music and fashion merge into each other. For collections, I like to start with colours. Each main colour represents a stage, a chapter of the narrative. The first chapter was red (Genesis), the second is Blue (The All) etc. Silhouette and fabrics are within the second step. Everything is around these two points, which we later refine into details.
Let's talk about fabrics and their shape. You work a lot with organic cotton, fresh Italian wool, oversized and comfortable fits and asymmetrical hems. How do you innovate in materials?
We always strive for sustainability without compromising on aesthetic. It’s occasionally a tough battle, but, by having limited edition products, you always find surprising materials which respect the environment. With every material, we look for the ABM soul and I must say that we are so lucky to work with some brilliant Italian suppliers.
Although monochrome is present in most of your collections, the devil is definitely in the details. Without a doubt, hellish red and the darkest of blacks are your colours. Why do you go for these colours and not others?
Colours have a deep meaning for us and we have no limitations in using them. I like to use specific colours to highlight specific stages, chapters. Red and darkness were chapter one, now we are moving forwards into new colours, tones and brightness.
I saw that many of your pieces are actually unique and therefore the production is quite limited. Does sustainability have something to do with it? If so, what does it mean to you?
Yes of course it does. By reducing goods transportation we are able to decrease pollution. We work with deadstock fabrics as much as we can which, of course, that limits the number of items we can produce and you can’t imagine how many luxury forgotten fabrics are out there! We also use recycled and organic fabrics as much as we can. Sustainability is a key point of our project, something we want to improve year after year.
Photography ÁNGEL JIMÉNEZ, Model JIHANE.
Musicians like Nim Morrison or Joël Kurasinski wore your clothes in their latest music videos. Who would you like to see wearing your clothes that haven’t yet?
Any artist who is genuinely connected to our values and aesthetic.
R)Evolution is your recent collaboration with the Paris-based artist Thomas Koenig, who added his signature style to your classics. He interpreted the cultural revolutions and the destruction concept. Also, Fabio Weik, an expert in graffiti, collaborated with you on Genesis. How does your creative process differ when working with these artists?
It doesn't change. It’s just a pleasure to have the chance to develop an idea together with people who have such great minds.
It is no surprise that you have collaborated with digital artists like Nina Dall, who works around animation, and the multidimensional design studio, Obby Jappari who works with Transhumanism, as well as other multidisciplinary artists like Combrisi, Arcin Sagdic and Notawave. What is next for you in this area?
We are working on so many new projects right now. New collaborations are coming but it is also time for us to [better] establish some of the partnerships we had in this last year.
Like the clothes you design, Metamorphosis is a short film that reveals how a person can change and how they can have multiple identities that allow them to express themselves. What was it like recording a video with these characteristics and with this philosophy?
The theme of Metamorphosis is something that has always intrigued me and it has been a long time that I wanted to produce a project on this concept. Having the chance to collaborate with Dazed, together with the amazing VTSS allowed us to reach an incredible end result.
Lastly, is there anything you can tell us about your upcoming projects?
We will present shortly a couple of new art projects, completely disconnected from fashion, it will be intersecting [with fashion or something], you will see. We are focusing on the second part of 2021 as the time to open our next pop-up after the success of our first, which we had in Milan this year. From a design point of view, we have a lot to come. We are above all focusing on new silhouettes, exploring new shapes and ideas.
Photography EVA LOSADA, Creative Direction MAD INC, Make up JANINA ZAIS, Model YUSTYNA, Production INES ROVIRA, CG ALL KNOWING NOTHING.
Photography ALESSANDRO MESCA, Art Direction INES ROVIRA, Make up JURY SCHIAVI, Model LIN LIN.
