Where do they meet, what do they do, and what happens when the Cracker Crew reunites?

For the first time, photographer Francesca D’Amaro has documented one of these gatherings from the inside, in the Cracker lair, inside the Major Virtual Tunnel, which in recent months has become a veritable artist residency for this group of “creative orphans” with a wealth of ideas. Underground, far from the noise of the city, in the corridors of the abandoned subway system turned art gallery, they celebrate the recently concluded fashion show.

They do so by exchanging Cracker clothes, trying them on, modifying them, and graffitiing the canvas poufs donated by Chateau d’Ax, which are used to furnish the space. The installation changes over time, just like the brand’s creations: each object is painted, marked, and transformed by those who pass by. As if leaving a mark on something were, now more than ever, a way to say they exist. The members of the Cracker Crew do a bit of everything, just like their encounters: dynamic, spontaneous, unpredictable. The clothes circulating in the space are often personalized on the spot by Simone Botte, between conversations. It’s a family when the family is far away: many are “adopted orphans” from Milan, and being together makes you feel less alone. Sharing your problems out loud makes them feel shared, and therefore lighter.

Chadia Rodriguez also joined the Cracker Crew after the last show. During this secret event, she shared a new piece of hers and brought drinks, complete with glasses from her purse. Within minutes, everyone was dancing in Milan’s coolest abandoned subway station. This place was brought back to life by Michel Dolci after years of work: an urban revitalization that, ultimately, closely resembles what Simone Botte does with his clothes—taking something that seemed forgotten and giving it a new meaning.

Curated by di Francesca D’Amaro 

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