De Pino is the 00s fashion stan copying old Balenciaga, Prada and Margiela

If you grew up as a fashion fanatic in the late 00s, it’s highly likely that at some point, you tore pages of your favourite looks out of magazines and plastered them across your walls, in the same way others would grab the Blu-Tac and shove up posters of the bands they idolised, the movies they loved, or the flashy sports cars they wanted to own one day.

Wrapped up in adolescence and the trials and tribulations that come with coming of age, it’s also likely that the fashions of your formative years are now misted by the golden haze of nostalgia: your tastes might have changed, and your aesthetic along with it, but those original clothes have probably clung on to a special place in your heart. There’s a reason labels like Gucci and Marc Jacobs have recently resurrected the Horsebit and Stam bags of the 00s, and it’s to feed the long-dormant desires of our teen selves, unable to afford the cult pieces on pocket money and Saturday job wages the first time around.

Someone for whom this sentiment bears true is rising designer Gabriel Figueiredo, who founded his label De Pino in 2020. The Paris-based creative, who cut his teeth working for Maison Margiela’s Artisanal line made his runway debut at the tail end of the AW24 Haute Couture shows with a buzzy little show attended by a small but perfectly formed if-you-know-you-know crowd. 

Kicking off with a skewed instrumental version of Lady Gaga’s 2008 breakout “Poker Face”, models stomped about the sweaty space in looks that paid tribute to the fashions Figueiredo was obsessed with growing up, spanning Ghesquière’s Balenciaga era, Maison Margiela when Martin was still at the helm, and definitive Prada collections. Each look, like the Margiela-indebted star motif body with big, overblown shoulders, was exaggerated and playful, felt like a kid had sketched them out on one of those paper fashion dolls and somehow the drawing had come to life. 

In an industry that all too often takes itself all too seriously, the whole thing was ridiculously fun, tongue-in-cheek, and loving, seemingly coming from a similar realm to that of Vaquera’s early “fashion fan fiction” collections. “I love that fashion is a game to play,” Figueiredo explains. “I love the absurdity and ridiculousness of it.” But while his first show might have been absurd and brilliantly ridiculous, it was rooted in an innate talent for the finer details – the couture techniques he learnt at Margiela meant the pieces were constructed and finished to a level far beyond that of most debuts. So much so, Ghesquière himself gave it his own seal of approval. 

Here, he tells us more.

Hey Gabriel! Your collection revealed just how much you love fashion. How did you first get into it, what was your entry point? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: Ever since I was a kid I always liked to get dressed. Growing up as a gay boy in a suburban city outside of Paris I saw fashion as an exciting and glamorous world far away from the boring life I was living. When I entered high school I started going out in Paris and I befriended inspiring people, many of whom were into fashion. I found my happy place among this crowd. Then, I remember vividly going to a Gareth Pugh aftershow in 2009 and feeling a sense of belonging. At this point, fashion was more of an escape and lifestyle I wanted to live. Step by step, I started to lean into the creative part and found that it could also be a career for me.

Where did you go from there? Where and what did you study? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: I went to Ecole Duperré in Paris to study fashion design. Duperré is first and foremost an art school where I developed my own creative DNA. Those years were my formative fashion years because when I wasn’t studying, I was going out a lot, meeting amazing people and sewing costumes for parties every week. After Duperré, I moved to Brussels to pursue my studies at La Cambre. It was very creative and fun, but I also learned a lot of technical and craft skills. Having fun dressing up with my friends was still central in my life at this point, and it always played an important role in my creativity. We used to improvise fashion shows in the middle of house parties using whatever textile and supplies we found in the house to create Galliano-inspired looks.

“For the casting, I pictured a group of friends playing at being models as me and my friends used to during my studies. The direction was ‘Walk slow, you own the room, pose like you're having the most fun ever and then walk fast’” – Gabriel Figueiredo

And this led you to work for Maison Margiela. What did that teach you? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: I focus on embroidery for the Artisanal line so I mainly learned craft techniques. It was a turning point for me as a designer because I realised that mastering craft techniques could allow me to actualise my wildest creative ideas. But creativity needs technique, and vice versa. In fashion schools, the teaching is very focused on concepts, but my time at Maison Margiela taught me that what makes a garment so special and beautiful is not just the idea, but most of all, the way it's made. 

Why was now the right moment for your debut show? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: After launching De Pino in 2020, I designed a few collections and I was exploring the best way for my brand to exist. I wanted to deliver my vision but also to build a successful business. I understood that I needed to do something louder to not compromise and that the rest would follow. Alongside the French savoir-faire, Haute Couture week made sense to present this debut show.  

Tell me about the concept behind the show. The Gaga soundtrack was a vibe and the models had so much attitude! What did you want to convey with it? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: For the casting, I pictured a group of friends playing at being models as me and my friends used to during my studies. We did a street casting to build this diverse and playful gang. I worked with movement director Ryan Chapell and we asked the models to pose to showcase their personality. The direction was ‘Walk slow, you own the room, pose like you're having the most fun ever and then walk fast’. 

For the music, I was thrilled to have Michel Gaubert on board, as he composed the Balenciaga runway soundtrack during the Ghesquière era. We discussed the feeling and references for the soundtrack; I envisioned something elegant and Parisian, yet also fun and playful. Opening the show with an instrumental version of Lady Gaga's “Poker Face” – abstract yet instantly recognisable – set the mood for the audience.

Tell me about the collection itself. Can you explain the concept a bit more? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: The inspiration for this collection comes from my memories from the late 2000s when I first began watching fashion shows and developed a deep interest in the world of fashion. I love the extreme sophistication and darkness of that time. 

Through the process of recollecting something, some details can be forgotten, others exaggerated. Memories are blurry, and that’s the way I reinterpret some collections I love, especially Balenciaga AW06, Prada AW09 and the last Martin Margiela collections for Maison Margiela.

This De Pino collection is about one’s relationship with a memory, and how it reshapes reality into a faded and melancholic image. The show should evoke a sense of intimacy – this comforting and nostalgic feeling of being in your head – but it should also scream ‘I love fashion!’

“The collection is about one’s relationship with a memory, and how it reshapes reality into a faded and melancholic image. The show should evoke a sense of intimacy – this comforting and nostalgic feeling of being in your head – but it should also scream ‘I love fashion!’” – Gabriel Figueiredo

Talk me through your favourite looks and why you wanted to recreate or reinterpret them? And what newness are you bringing to them through the haze lens of memory? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: I think my first memory from Balenciaga 2006 was the paparazzi pictures of the Olsen twins wearing those crazy platform riding boots. I didn’t know anything about Ghesquière at the time but I thought the boots were so elegant and edgy. 

When I looked up the collection online, I was immediately captivated by it. The pristine, structured, and round-shaped jackets, along with the 60s-inspired looks featuring equestrian helmets strike a perfect balance between elegance and playfulness, contrasting from the overtly sexy and glamorous portrayal of women in the early 2000s. Then I discovered Martin Margiela. I remember the excitement surrounding his last shows. His nude shoulder pad bodysuit is so iconic and reminiscent of this time, with echoes of Lady Gaga too. 

While I was doing the collection, I thought embellishments referencing the Prada AW09 collection would be a very nice addition to the clean Ghesquière and Margiela silhouettes. I see these embroidered dresses are a true representation of Miuccia’s talent: she can turn an otherwise kitschy ornamentation into something elegant and mysterious.

Did you worry about being called out or cancelled for copying? Everyone is quick to jump on young designers for referencing old collections? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: No, it's clear in my storytelling that these references are intended as tributes. They are prominently featured in the collection, celebrated and not hidden. In fashion, references and inspiration are often extensively discussed, giving the impression that inspiration is paramount in the design process. However, as a designer, I believe that what truly matters is how you interpret and embody these inspirations as your own. A truly creative approach ensures that you infuse it with your unique style and vision.

What has the response been? Have you heard from any of the designers of the original looks you referenced? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: Diet Prada did a post on the show so it was a full circle moment for this project, and Nicolas Ghesquière liked the post!

Who do you envisage wearing it? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: Other true fashion lovers who want to pay homage to this era, too.

What do you love about fashion and what do you hate?

Gabriel Figueiredo: I love that fashion is a game to play, I love the absurdity and ridiculousness of it.

I don't like when fashion is not about the clothes, their quality and the way they're made.

The show was super fun and funny, too! What was the last thing that really made you laugh?

Gabriel Figueiredo: Laughing at work is so important to me and an essential part of the creative process. I’m helping one of my best friends on her upcoming show and despite the hard work, we have a really good time listening to stupid songs. Our last find is “Dame Tu Cosita” from El Chombo.

You're obviously obsessed with fashion. But what is your latest internet obsession? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: AI generated songs made from weird Vinted chats from the resale app.

“Diet Prada did a post on the show so it was a full circle moment for this project, and Nicolas Ghesquière liked the post!” – Gabriel Figueiredo

Where do you look for inspiration? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: My daily life mainly, the discussions I have with friends about fashion, about what we like at the moment. When I host parties, we often end up dressing up and improvising runways, this spontaneous energy inspires me a lot. A few months ago, my friends and I rediscovered The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga and became obsessed with her early work, which also inspired me greatly for the collection.

What was the last thing that made you feel super inspired?

Gabriel Figueiredo: I went to Anohni’s concert in Paris just after the show. Her voice and presence carry so much emotion, it was so beautiful.

With the next collection, will you continue paying homage to your fave brands? Or will you do your own thing after this debut? 

Gabriel Figueiredo: No, this concept made sense for my debut show but I have many other stories to tell for the next collections. Though if I was to do it again, I think I would definitely pay homage to Riccardo Tisci's Givenchy around 2010.

What upcoming plans or exciting things do you have lined up for the future?

Gabriel Figueiredo: Next week I'm going to Villa Noailles in Hyères with my friend, artist Rémi Calmont. We were invited by them to make a sculpture installation for the next Festival International de Mode. It's very exciting to work on a project that is different from fashion. And of course I’m also thinking about the next De Pino show for next year!

Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the collection.