Interview with Luca Galardo

When Diodati’s collection “Static” showcased at Toronto Men’s Fashion Week this past summer, the audience was embraced with a futuristic multitude of iridescence and contemporary royal blues flaunting the runway.  The brilliance behind the line is Luca Galardo.  I was a dresser at Toronto Men’s Fashion Week (TOM), and I was one of the first to see the captivating collection up-close and personal.  When I saw the garments, I was immediately smitten by his use of line, fabric and gender fluidity.  I was elated to have the opportunity to further my knowledge about Luca and his thought process in fashion designing.

            It’s always interesting to know if there was a specific moment in a designers past when they realized pursuing fashion as a career is a must.  With the hopes and ambition of someday having an artistic driven career, Luca started gearing towards fashion design in his teens.  “When I was 16 I bought my first sewing machine and it all made sense” he said.  Galardo is based out of Montreal.  The city is a major fashion capital of Canada and I was curious to know what role Montreal played in his designs.  “I am definitely a product of my city.  Being surrounded by so much diversity has developed my aesthetic and my way of thinking.  People are what influence me and Montreal has a lot of different people to be inspired by.” 

            In an interview with Real Style, Luca stated that he wants to inspire the way people get dressed by “creating a neutral canvas for self-expression”.  Being such a strong statement, I wanted to know what Luca desires from his fans to take away from this.  “I want people to fall in love with getting dressed again.  Clothing has become very basic; almost Orwellian in nature.  Most dress to fit in and not to stand out.  I hope the future is filled with more people looking to make a statement about who they are through how they dress.”  Inspiration can be found anywhere, and I wanted to know if there was certain times or atmospheres that Galardo thinks trigger his creativity the most.  Whether it’s people he already knows, new people he meets, characters from books, movies and history, Luca finds people to be his leading inspiration.  “When someone is being completely uninhibited and showing their true self, that’s what feeds my creativity.”

            When Static debuted at TOM Fashion Week, the models paraded ostentatiously down the runway donning translucent, plastic-like fabrics and neoprene.  Luca’s use of color was exquisite.  The way the electric blues caressed the clean look of white was a perfect touch.  I was curious to know how the designer picks his fabrics and color palettes. He replied with, “I usually start with an idea or theme.  I then source fabrics and look for things that inspire me; colors, textures, prints.  I go from there and let the fabric and theme guide the creation of the styles.”  Luca’s designs are referred to as androgynous minimalism and “designed for the person uninhibited by social ideals.”  With such impressive themes, I wanted to know why he chose them to reflect in his designs.  He said, “Androgynous minimalism has been a running theme for my past collections because it’s something that has impact, takes away gender and gaudiness and leaves true, pure design.  The person that inspires me is the person I design for.”

            Some of the most successful fashion designers never pursued post-secondary education to enhance their future career.  Luca attended LaSalle College in Montreal.  I wanted to know his thoughts on the importance of going to college or university to study fashion related programs.  He said, “I think knowing the trade is important, whether that be through school or an internship.  You need to know how the industry works.”  Already accomplishing so much at a young age, I was curious to know what Luca’s career highlights have been so far.  “Showing at TOM Fashion Week was definitely up there.  To be showing my work alongside more established brands was very rewarding.”  While at TOM Fashion Week, his exhilaration radiated.  Talking to his friends, I overheard Galardo say, “This is so surreal.  The clothes are coming to life.”  Diodati was most definitely alive. 

            The designer obtained the name Diodati for his line by using his mothers’ maiden name.  It 

roughly translates to “God given”, and his mother has always been one of his biggest inspirations.  

Diodati is a name we will be seeing more in the future.  Luca is currently putting together an online 

store, and hopes to have it up by spring of next year.  We look forward to seeing what the “God 

given” designer has to impress the runways with next.