The 38-year-old cut his teeth working on fashion magazines like Dazed and Confused and Harper’s Bazaar USA, before being drafted as Lady Gaga’s stylist. Currently creative director of Diesel, Formichetti has recently launched the denim brand’s latest ad campaign on Porn Hub and YouPorn — proof that he’s still marching to the beat of his own drum.
“I thought to myself, “OK, what are the biggest, most-watched websites?” Porn sites!” Formichetti told Mashable. “Of course billboards, magazines and newspapers are important, but I want to go deeper.”
And, going deeper is precisely what Formichetti plans to do. And, we’re not just talking about advertising. Formichetti’s approach to genderless fashion has cemented him as a key figure in the gender-bending movement.
During New York fashion week in September 2015, Formichetti’s gender-fluid fashion brand Nicopanda had men in sheer pink tops, frilly dresses and skirts.
Agender clothing isn’t anything new, however. The queer fashion movement has existed on the sidelines for many years, but is only now that gender-fluid clothing is being steadily introduced into mainstream fashion by a handful of forward-thinking designers.
“It’s our job to provide as many options as possible for people to choose from so they can be whatever and whoever they want to be,” says Formichetti.
Though progressive, Formichetti’s approach to de-gendering clothing is also realistic.
“We should have unisex garments,” he says matter-of-factly. “But, we also have to have more feminine and more masculine clothing because there are times when you’ll want dress more masculine, more girly or in between.”
When it comes to Formichetti’s vision, the clothing is just one piece of the puzzle.
“At Diesel, we have one model called Stav Strashko. She considers herself female, but is comfortable with her male body. She doesn’t want to transition, she just feels cool as she is. She’s a girl on the inside, but a boy on the outside.”
Beyond Diesel and Nicopanda, Formichetti is calling for an industry-wide increase in diversity.
“I hope that diversity is on the rise in the fashion industry. I’m like, “come on!” We have different colours, different genders. I really don’t like the fact that, in the fashion industry, we always fantasise and portray a fake fantasy in campaigns. It’s like we’re selling a fake dream.”
Formichetti’s hopes to elicit change in the fashion world are by no means unambitious, but he’s far from intimidated by the challenges ahead. Is he satisfied with his contribution to the fashion world so far?
“Are you crazy? I haven’t even started!”