MILAN — It’s time for the second activity within the skilled journey of designers Luca Lin and Galib Gassanoff.

The Act N.1 founders mutually decided to part ways after seven years of working hand-in-hand to ascertain and grow their fashion brand, which gained particular momentum over the past 12 months.

Lin has taken the solo lead of the Milan-based label, while Gassanoff exited to pursue a profession in fashion and humanities, said the corporate.

“It has been a implausible seven-year journey of making, learning and experimenting. I had the chance to satisfy and work with incredible people, we brought Act N.1 to the heights we dreamt of and it is going to proceed to rise under the direction of my dear friend Luca,” said Gassanoff, moreover thanking the entire team behind the corporate and “everyone who has supported our work throughout the years.”

“I thank Galib for the contribution he has made to the brand over the past seven years, where we now have shared incredible moments of private and skilled growth. The trail we now have taken together will remain exceptional and unique,” echoed Lin, who’s known Gassanoff for a decade.

In an interview with WWD, Lin added that after so a few years “it’s normal to take alternative ways to be able to focus and pursue other projects.”

The designer revealed the duo made the choice last June but eventually bought time “to complete some projects that were already under way,” akin to the spring 2023 collection.

Lin also confirmed that the autumn 2023 lineup to be unveiled on Feb. 24 during Milan Fashion Week is the primary developed under his creative direction alone. “Going solo surely represented a further challenge but I’m also enthusiastic of this recent journey,” said the designer, sounding motivated about showing recent facets of the label through his collections.

Keeping details of the brand new fashion chapter expected to be seen on the runway under wraps, Lin still ensured that “all of the values of the brand will stay intact.”

Longtime friends and business partners, Lin and Gassanoff established Act N.1 in 2016 with the goal to precise their vision of multiculturalism, since their collections mixed stylistic influences hailing from their very own origins — Lin is half Chinese and Gassanoff was born in Azerbaijan but grew up within the country of Georgia.

Asked about what’s going to occur to this approach, Lin ensured “this multicultural view will remain. It would surface more in my very own personal way, but to be honest I’ve all the time been surrounded by people from different countries and cultures so it is going to take cues from them, too.”

Freedom and self-expression can even stay on the core of the message Act N.1 goals to spread. Through the years, the brand has investigated different social themes in its lineups, from raising awareness of girls’s rights to spotlighting minorities and subcultures. Lin said he’s committed on further constructing and enhancing these facets not only through his designs but additionally “more concretely” via dedicated initiatives.

Thus far, Lin and Gassanoff’s experimental approach to fashion has regularly resulted in hybrid styles that patch different pieces in a single, a juxtaposition of masculine and female elements and a flair for deconstructed silhouettes, along with the theatrical, couture-like pieces their work has been mostly related to. Mainly crafted from tulle, these dramatic and maximalist creations never did not elicit a “wow” response during their fashion shows and have helped Act N.1 garner the eye of press and buyers alike in the previous couple of seasons.

Maison Valentino played a giant part in further amplifying this buzz by lending the young designers its Instagram account for a livestream of their show during Milan Fashion Week in September, due to this fact encouraging the Roman fashion house’s greater than 17 million followers to find the brand.

Along with much more credibility, the endorsement contributed to ramping up the label’s international appeal and status, including with celebrities, as appearances of Act N.1 creations mushroomed on the red carpet and social media over the past 12 months. These included custom-made numbers designed for the likes of Beyoncé and Lizzo, along with placements on Sharon Stone, Rita Ora and Keke Palmer, to call just a few.

Camera della Moda has been supporting Act N.1 for a while, as well. Debuting at Milan Fashion Week in 2018 with the spring 2019 collection, Act N.1 has been a part of the town’s schedule ever since, presenting collections each via physical runway shows and conceptual digital formats through the pandemic.

The brand was among the many three recipients of the 2022 grant by Camera Moda Fashion Trust, the nonprofit organization established in 2017 to support young Italian talents in developing their businesses with financial aid, in addition to business mentoring programs and tutoring. Particularly, Act N.1 secured the grant for the second time in a row, having successfully channeled previous funds toward growing the brand’s scope by introducing a menswear line, organising its own e-commerce and expanding distribution.

The label is currently carried at international stockists including Bergdorf Goodman, H Lorenzo, IT Group, Beymen, Kadewe and Harvey Nichols, amongst others.