Italian designer Domenico Formichetti operates like the word “small” isn’t in his vocabulary.
There are his jumbo pairs of shoes, so puffy that they look like they were custom made for the Michelin Man. There are his runway shows in Milan that double as rap concerts and have thousands of supporters snaking down the block to get in. And of course, there’s the co-sign from the biggest rapper on the planet, Drake. Remember that insane haul that got dropped off to Drake’s mansion in Toronto last year? That was all courtesy of Formichetti’s brand PDF.
Drake isn’t the only big name to support the budding designer. Lil Yachty has repped the brand repeatedly. Doja Cat and 21 Savage have worn custom pieces on stage. NFL running back Alvin Kamara walks in his runway shows. Rihanna has ben photographed in one of his orange bomber jackets. And Formichetti only just started PDF in 2021.
“I feel happy when I see it,” the designer says. “They see a lot of brands everyday. They can buy whatever they want. If I see them wearing one of my pieces, that means they appreciate it. They have so many choices and picked that one. So, I feel like something is working.”
Formichetti first connected with Drake through Lil Yachty (no surprises there). The message was direct, “The Boy wants the shoes.”
“He put me in a group chat with his stylist and we came up with the customs and everything,” says Formichetti. Drake was first spotted in his custom PDF shoes, an orange camo pair that he laced up to accompany his polarizing hairstyle and blue Fubu T-shirt, in August 2023. While Drake still is not exactly known as a style icon, Formichetti’s giant sneakers and knit jerseys have been some of the key pieces responsible for elevating his fits lately.
“I really like how [Drake and Lil Yachty] dress and what they are doing,” he says. “The vision is really good.”
But PDF isn’t just about a hefty co-sign from hip-hop’s biggest names. Formichetti’s creations would grab our attention regardless. Take handbags with handles resembling Apple’s AirPod Pro Maxs that were all over fashion moodboards in 2023 or his chunky sneakers. They aren’t just a gimmick. It took him a year to develop to achieve the perfect proportions. If you follow him on social media, expect to see him posting some behind-the-scenes clips spray dying pants and jackets with unique washes in the production factory in Milan, where he admits he probably spends a bit too much time.
“I think that’s the key, to be inside the process,” says Formichetti. “I’m always there. I like to see the product to know if I like it or need to modify it.”
Formichetti’s interest in clothing was sparked by his love for extreme sports growing up in Italy—snowboarding specifically. He watched videos of professional snowboarders and saw the baggy gear they would wear. The billowing pants in PDF’s collections are meant to mimic those snowboarding pants. PDF even released its own snowboard back in December 2023. The reason its viral footwear is so gigantic is because Formichetti was inspired by the look of snowboarding boots. They are way too stiff to wear casually (unless you are Pharrell or Lil Wayne), but he wanted the look of them with his everyday outfits. Like many designers, Formichetti’s ideas stem from creating the things he always wanted in his wardrobe but could never find.
Athletic codes have extended into some of his best apparel offerings. Football, hockey, and pinstripe baseball jerseys have been elevated with knit construction instead of the usual mesh. Silver rings look like bandages you wrap around your fingers to hide the cuts you may get on the field during games. His latest collection includes paneled zip-ups and shorts constructed by piecing together scraps of mesh jerseys. Formichetti continues to find ways to recontextualize these sports through his own lens.
“It’s really hard to make the first of something in clothing. Everything looks the same,” says Formichetti. “So, I’m trying to find that spot.”
Formichetti stayed engulfed in the world of skate and snowboarding as a teenager. He also developed an interest in graffiti that still informs his approach to design to this day through pieces like bomber jackets and flowy pants that look like they’ve been airbrushed.
Despite his infatuation with these subcultures that all filter into streetwear while he was growing up in Italy, Formichetti says that the country's streetwear culture is a fairly recent phenomenon.
“Everyone was in a Gucci polo and skinny pants,” says Formichetti. “You used to go dancing in a dress shirt or a polo. You couldn't go with a hoodie. You would never get inside. That was Italy when I was younger.”
Before it became more widely embraced in his home country, Formichetti found other ways to participate in streetwear. He would draw on T-shirts and sketch constantly. Throughout the 2010s, Formichetti used the power of social media to tap into the subculture virtually. He became known for his fit pics on Instagram featuring the latest pieces from top brands at the time, like Supreme and Off-White. This eventually culminated in the launch of his first brand in 2018, Formy Studio. The brand only lasted two years. Formichetti used his time indoors during the pandemic to refocus his approach before launching PDF in 2021.
“My taste really changed. I was learning more about fashion and talking with big designers. I wanted to do something different,” says Formichetti. “Not just drops online. I wanted to build a formal brand.”
Back in January, Formichetti hosted his first presentation during Milan Fashion Week for PDF’s third collection, The Dirt. Models stood in rows on a mirrored surface. The futuristic set design was meant to contrast the distressed clothing. The inspiration for The Dirt was the anti-heroes of the sports world—think Dennis Rodman or Mario Balotelli. Formichetti says that he focused on new shapes and overall cohesiveness. The result was sportswear-inspired items with highlights like colorful bottoms airbrushed to look like motocross pants and oversized pink plaid ski coats.
For his second show at Milan Fashion Week in June 2024, Holy Motor, he dove deep into the automotive world. Tartan patterns used on trench coats were a nod to car interiors in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Shiny coated items were meant to resemble a car’s fresh paint job. Oversized knit T-shirts featured prints that resembled a motocross chest protector. Pre-distressed leather racing jackets were covered in logo flips of gas stations like Sunoco and Amoco.
Less thematic items included backpacks and boots that were introduced in PDF’s signature exaggerated proportions. The brand also showcased a few collaborations, a further testament to its growth. A white leather jacket with a barking rottweiler spraypainted onto the back featured “Pelle Pelle” spelled out in rhinestones across the shoulders. A giant leather backpack with silver detailing was made in tandem with Italian designer Mattias Gollin. To make the brands’ Milan Fashion Week presentation even more grand, he capped it off with a medley of performances from Italian rappers including Gali and Tony Effe, a way for Formichetti to give a larger platform to the peers in his community.
As loud and attention-grabbing as PDF’s creations are, Formichetti is much more reserved. He speaks calmly and makes sure to gather his thoughts before answering questions. Mostly, he can’t wait to get back to work.
“I spend 20 hours a day, researching, working, being in the studio,” says Formichetti. “It’s like being a fucking rapper in the recording studio all day.”
When it comes to what’s next, Formichetti doesn’t like to plan too far ahead.
“I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I never think about what I can reach. I’m just enjoying the moment. I don’t know if that’s bad or not, but I never think long term. I just want to make good things. If I make good things, opportunities will arrive.”
But he does have big aspirations. He would love to eventually collaborate on a Six-Inch boot with Timberland, sneakers with Nike, snowboards with Burton, and workwear with Carhartt.
“I want to collab with brands like this rather than high-end brands,” says Formichetti. “I feel like these brands have more of a community.”
Yes, those are some of the biggest brands in the world. But like we said, everything PDF does is big. That should come as no surprise.