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Garment Workshop has launched its first collaboration with Candiani! The initial release features two styles of trousers: one inspired by the most traditional 5-pocket jeans and the other by workwear. To introduce the project, we met Federico Barengo, one of the founders of the young brand.
His father’s military boots, the inspiration by Hedi Slimane, and price transparency: let’s meet Federico Barengo
C: Ciao Federico! As we are about to launch our first collaboration, we would love to learn more about your brand and its journey. Please tell us about Garment Workshop, how it came to be, and its core values.
F: Garment Workshop was established in 2021 to create essential, high-quality garments made in Italy that are timeless and easy to mix and match with other clothing. Price transparency is imperative to us. I believe it’s crucial to explain the factors contributing to a product’s price to help people fully appreciate it and feel confident in their purchase. Before launching the brand, I had already shared videos on YouTube and my social media platforms to shed light on the factors influencing the pricing of garments.
C: When you started Garment Workshop, you already had a significant following on social media. What activities do you engage in on YouTube and other platforms, and what experiences influenced the creation of your own brand?
F: While studying architecture, I began working as a social media consultant for some stores in Rome and created a YouTube channel to review clothing and shoes. I then worked as an assistant buyer in a Roman boutique and as a consultant for Tomorrow Ltd, which collaborates with various well-known brands. In 2020, Valerio Coretti and I established the consulting firm NXTGN, and the following year, we launched Garment Workshop with Paolo Sarimari. In the meantime, I continue to manage my social media presence, where I not only promote my own ventures but also provide commentary on the fashion industry and review products.
C: Thanks to your background, Garment Workshop has a strong communication and online presence. How many people are in your community, and who are they?
F: Our community was established on social media and mainly consists of people aged 18 to 30. Garment Workshop has over 50,000 followers on Instagram, and my personal account has over 200,000 followers. The brand newsletter has more than 30,000 subscribers.
C: As you mentioned, transparency is essential to you. What other values do you want to instill in your community?
F: I want my followers to be able to assess the quality of products based on different price levels and the quality-price ratio. I want them to make purchases that will last over time rather than being quickly discarded. For example, my father gave me a pair of boots he wore during his military service, and they are still in excellent condition nearly 50 years later, only needing a resoling. I plan to work on a project to promote upcycling old accessories using these boots, which have a Vibram sole.
C: Garment Workshop will celebrate its third anniversary in 2024. The brand has evolved rapidly throughout these years while maintaining its core values. What are your upcoming projects?
F: We initially started with small production runs, but now our most iconic garments are part of year-round collections. Additionally, we have broadened our product range by entering wholesale channels, which have helped raise brand awareness without undermining our primary online sales channel. Our main objective remains to create essential, timeless clothing that is high-quality and reasonably priced.
C: One last question: who is your favorite designer?
F: Hedi Slimane, but I also like Japanese designers. I usually appreciate designers who create garments you want to wear even years after you’ve had them in your closet since they don’t follow a specific and temporary trend.
The collaboration between Candiani and Garment Workshop values selvedge denim upcycling
We share the values of made-in-Italy, high-quality production and transparency in productive processes with Garment Workshop. We aim to incorporate these values into all our fabrics. Like Federico, we are committed to avoiding waste and promoting the longevity of our products.
The collaboration between Candiani and Garment Workshop involves unsold selvedge denim fabrics, with a focus on upcycling. This means giving a second chance to products that would typically be discarded. Despite being unsold, the quality of this denim is on par with our best fabrics, which are used by some of the most important Italian and international luxury brands.
