This past Milan Fall/Winter Fashion Week, Bocconi Students for Fashion and Luxury were cordially invited to attend upcoming designer Giorgia Andreazza’s presentation for her brand BERGIE by GIORGIANDREAZZA. Around 15 of us participated in setting up the stage, dressing the models, and assisting in the rehearsal process. The result was a fascinating look behind-the-scenes for one of Italy’s most exciting new luxury brands.
Unfamiliar with BERGIE? BERGIE was born in the midst of Andreazza graduating from an honors degree in fashion at NABA in 2018. Andreazza started her eponymous label to stay richly connected to her heritage and culture whilst crafting futuristic clothing, pushing the limits of sustainable fashion. Hailing from Bassano del Grappa, a small Venetian town where her parents own a textile shop, Andreazza sources all her brand’s materials from industrial waste in Veneto and Lombardy—an approach that is as innovative as it is richly personal.
BERGIE’s hit product, the Bergie Bag, exemplifies the marriage of recycling and tech that Andreazza strives for: the body is crafted from Italian scrap leather whilst the handle is 3D-printed plastic. The design ticks all the boxes for Gen Z consumers: it’s high-quality, eco-conscious, and distinct. Plus, the 3D printing aspect adds a layer of scalability, making it easier to reproduce commercially without compromising uniqueness. For an industry with high market saturation, smart business choices like these, coupled with strong brand id and values, hopefully bodes a highly successful future for BERGIE.
Andreazza, speaking to Harper’s Bazaar Italia late last year, described her aesthetic as, “dynamic and changeable, filtered through a distorted and romanticized vision of today’s society.” Citing her passion for film as a driving force in this oft-dystopian vision, she combines film and 90s-2000s camp references for a result that is, “a mix that fluctuates between day and night, between masculine and feminine, manifesting itself as a subcultural reality.” BS4F members saw this singular aesthetic up close, helping the presentation’s models get dressed. The unusual and chaotic mix of choices sometimes resulted in clothes that were unwieldy yet delicate, but the lack of practicality in the designs made the pieces feel more art than outfit. It made for a stressful process, but one that felt worth it when the look finally came to life. One of the presentation’s strengths was in not just the pieces but the way in which every model was styled, leaving an impression that was purposeful and compelling.
I assisted backstage, helping dress the model opening the show, who wore a cream-coloured garment that was a mix between micro-shorts and underwear, along with a metallic bralette top held up by a chocolate-brown ribbon, elaborately tied into a bow at the back. The look was finished off baby-pink gloves that trained down her legs to wrap around matching pink heels. It was a great execution of Andreazza’s aesthetic: sexy and provocative with its bare coverage, juxtaposed with the light and feminine colour palette: pinks, browns and creams. The construction elements mirrored the same juxtaposition–bows and frills were contrasted with the metallic bra piece, almost jewelry-like in its effect.
In fact, BERGIE partnered with Turin-based jewelry brand Gio Sampietro Jewelry to create the bra as well as all its buckles. Gio Sampietro’s jewelry is characterised by fluid forms and bold, chunky silhouettes, and by including metallic notes to the collection, enhanced its futuristic aesthetic. Sampietro, talking to BS4F backstage, described making the bra and buckles as challenging due to the scale of the pieces, as opposed to his normal jewelry, but that having his handiwork featured in a fashion presentation was rewarding. Commissioning a jewelry-maker to create the bra may explain the impractical aspect of the piece, as its weight made it not very wearable, but again added to the sense of the collection as art.
One of the highlights of BERGIE’s presentation was its thoughtful casting, which set it apart from some other brands at Milan Fashion Week. The runway featured gender and race diversity in a way that felt genuine rather than performative; the opening model, a trans woman from Canada, was chosen to wear a look striking in its femininity, a refreshing and thoughtful approach to representation. However, it was worth noting that size inclusivity was lacking, reflecting a broader industry trend seen in recent fashion weeks of a declining presence of plus- and mid-size models.
Photograph of presentation rehearsal of models around two coffee tables.
My favourite looks from the collection both featured hoods, which added a dramatic, serious edge. The first was a baby-pink ensemble with a skirt so mini it bordered on micro, paired with an asymmetrical cut-out corset seamlessly connected to a hood. The styling tied everything together: a brown Bergie Bag, lace-up metallic stilettos wrapped with brown ribbon, and a perfectly matched pink lip. The second standout channelled sci-fi influences reminiscent of Dune or Star Wars, something I could easily imagine an edgier version of Padmé wearing. It featured a khaki green zip-up vest with an oversized hood and coordinating khaki belt, styled with a pink maxi skirt, silver heels, and a bold silver buckle.
Photography by Maurizio Pavone for BERGIE.
Andreazza previously made it clear that sustainability will continue to be at the forefront of the brand’s goals, stating that she “consider[s] it a fundamental duty for the new generation of designers”, and her latest initiative is no exception. Working with a biotechnologist, BERGIE debuted its new faux leather at the presentation made from roasted coffee residue. Coffee also was additionally incorporated into the presentation as a recurring motif: a drone delivered a cup to a model at the show’s opening, while twin models formed a human table holding cups of coffee at the centre of the set. Around them, the rest of the models were arranged near coffee tables, reinforcing the theme in a thought-provoking way. The use of coffee as a motif cleverly taps into Italy’s cultural love of coffee, tying into the brand’s ‘Made in Italy’ identity. Meanwhile, the drone symbolised the dystopian, panoptic side of high-tech—highlighting the tension between technology as a tool for creative advancement, like BERGIE’s innovative new leather, and as a force that can diminish artistic agency, as seen in the growing challenges AI poses for creatives.
Aside from the more symbolic aspects of the set design and props, in real-time, the use of the drone, coffee tables, and cups made for a presentation that was both captivating and immersive. Observing the presentation as it began, the suspense in the crowd was palpable as viewers watched the drone fly, drawing the audience in before the models had even stepped out. The tables added a sense of depth and movement to the set, making for visually striking photos. They also gave the models the chance to pose in dynamic, unconventional ways—adding personality to the presentation and showcasing how the clothes move and feel in real-life settings.
For me, it was one of the standout presentations that BS4F was invited to in Milan. Helping out backstage was an eye-opening pleasure, one that really demonstrated the incredibly difficult undertaking that putting on a fashion show or presentation really is. It is easy to forget how many incredibly talented people are needed to put on a show, from set designers and visual directors to makeup artists and hairstylists, without which collections’ would not come to life. Even those the smallest tasks—sweeping the floors, stocking fridges, serving drinks, or guiding guests to their seats—play a vital role. When done well, these efforts go unnoticed, but from backstage, it’s clear just how much work goes into making everything run smoothly. BS4F was honored to partake in such an amazing production and are all excited to see where the brand and Giorgia Andreazza go next.
By Siena Jackson
SOURCES
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https://www.harpersbazaar.com/it/moda/a63093291/giorgia-andreazza-intervista/
https://manfromuncle.info/features/giorgia-andreazza-is-the-designer-merging-art-and-fashion-to-give-mil ans-next-gen-fashion-scene-a-new-retro-futuristic-look/
https://www.vogue.it/article/brand-moda-indipendenti-milano-fashion-week
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/en/brand/12800
https://nextgenmagazine.it/milano-fashion-week-autunno-inverno-2025-2026-agglomerati-francesco-casa rotto-bergie-giorgia-andreazza-archetipo-andrea-alchieri/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/giorgiandreazza/?originalSubdomain=it
