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Daniel Del Core's last long vacation before the pandemic was more like survival training than a vacation trip.

In 2019, the designer spent several days together with his partner in the Amazon region in Peru.

A shaman dropped the two of them there, without a smartphone, without food, but with lots of good tips on how to draw water from a liana, how to catch fish with your bare hands or how to cut the edible pulp out of a palm tree.

Daniel Del Core not only survived, he enjoyed it.

For years, the 32-year-old has been traveling to remote places on a regular basis, climbing mountain peaks and hiking through nature parks, doing without cell phone reception and fine hotels.

"For me, these trips are always like a mental restart," he says.

“I'm coming back down, I'm learning to appreciate the comfort of everyday life more.” Now the next long-haul flight seems to be a long way off, but Del Core's memories of past tours are very vivid.

They inspire the fashion of the German designer who dressed for Gucci celebrities for years until he founded his own label at the end of 2019.

Daniel Del Cores debut in Milan - at the only fashion show with an audience

Source: Courtesy of Valerio Mezzanotti for Del Core

It was precisely during the pandemic that Del Core built a brand that does not seem to be affected by any petty or melancholy.

In February, he made his catwalk debut at Milan Fashion Week - with the only show that was in front of a real audience.

He showed fashion that a young designer would not be advised to wear at the moment: evening gowns with hand-embroidered "mold flowers", a pleated dress with mushroom-shaped fans, a golden yellow jacquard coat decorated with handmade fabric feathers.

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"I like evening wear, the exclusive, old-school couture techniques," says Daniel Del Core during a video interview.

“Clothes that are hardly made today.” With good reason: They are expensive and complex to produce and seem difficult to convey in an era when Birkenstocks and jogging pants are among the most Googled fashion items.

But the designer and his investors, who want to remain anonymous, believe that the desire for extravagant designs will return.

And Daniel Del Core seems predestined to design the dress uniform for the new roaring twenties.

In his role for Gucci, he dressed women from Florence Welch to Beth Ditto for stage and red carpet appearances.

In 2018, together with chief designer Alessandro Michele, he designed a dress for the singer Lana Del Rey with a golden heart on the chest from which daggers shot out.

For the video for Björk's single "The Gate", both worked on a robe made of iridescent PVC.

“The time with Alessandro was the best in my working life so far,” says Del Core.

“He's about theatrics, and that's exactly my world.” After all, he grew up in Rottweil as the son of comedian Heinrich Del Core.

He followed his father's stage performances, regularly went to the cinema and the theater.

The uncle carved masks for the Carnival in Rottweil, the great-great-aunt was a tailor.

His great-grandparents once emigrated from Apulia to Germany, Daniel Del Core has lived in Italy since he was 16.

He first attended an art school near Turin, then studied fashion design, visual arts and 3-D design in Milan, worked for Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, the Lebanese couturier Zuhair Muhad in Beirut and then at Gucci.

The designer comes from Rottweil, his great-grandparents from Apulia

Source: Jonas Unger

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The founding of his own label was rather unexpected.

“I was sitting with friends over a glass of wine when they suggested that I start this project together,” says Del Core.

A team was put together and an elegant but hidden property in the center of Milan, which is said to have served as a brothel, as a studio and office, was chosen.

"We worked in it for two weeks until everyone was sent home about the pandemic," says Del Core.

Despite lockdown, he has managed to build a brand that focuses on craftsmanship and shapes inspired by nature.

In the future he wants to offer prêt-à-porter and custom-made products.

Del Core emphasizes the positive effect that an exciting dress can have on the psyche.

“At Gucci, I've seen the difference it makes when a VIP is comfortable with their look,” he says.

“It increases self-confidence.” The first own store is to open next year.

Then hopefully the roaring twenties will finally have started.