In the last fifty years one of the most colourful and alive neighbourhoods in Milano is at the same time witness of Italian Post-colonial heritage and centre of LGBTQ+’s nightlife. This bound started in 1869 when Italy conquered Assab’s Harbour and nowadays is stronger than ever, so strong that some people call Porta Venezia’s neighbourhood “Asmarina” (“little Asmara”, the capital city of Eritrea).

Italy is the main destination of Eritrean refugees since Eritrea is a Presidential Republic that is in fact a totalitarian dictatorship that punishes homosexuality and transsexualism with death sentences.
Three generations after we can definitely say that the identity of the neighbourhood is totally fluid by being at the same time full of African groceries, restaurants as well as LGBTQ bars. This bound between LGBTQ, West African and Milanese lifestyles and cultures is as unlikely as strong. I chose to design a collection inspired by traditional shapes and costumes of Eritrean and Ethiopian culture mixed with the underground streetsyle of the queer community of my city, Milano. As in all my previous collections I once again designed "Queer Asmarina" with the goal to criticize how extreme machism and masculinity are a huge problem in the LGBTIQ+ community. 

Ph by Alberto Degano
Editing by Kalsarikannith
MUA by Pro*Lab Agency
Jewellery by Garçon De Famille
In partnership with Gender Project
Models: Sissy, Lilly, Marco, Matteo, Maurilio, Federico, Lorenzo, Jobe, Kingsley, Alex