Now more than ever the future of fashion is a hot topic, with a global pandemic leaving us to quarantine at home and wonder how the way we present and consume fashion could change forever. And a major discussion point has been the way fashion designers and brands can use technology in innovative ways at a time when in-person contact must be limited.

Now, many designers have attempted to work around the pandemic, letting it serve as their inspiration while still trying to retain the traditional way in which we produce and present fashion campaigns and fashion shows. Some really incredible work has come out of this, but it is the most captivating when brands introduce something completely new, working within a virtual landscape to express their creativity. And GCDS has done just that.

The five-year old Italian brand God Can’t Destroy Streetwear, better known as GCDS, is no stranger to garnering attention for its loud graphics and eye-catching designs, but they’ve certainly stepped up the game for Spring/Summer 2021.

In video released on their website, gcds.it, GCDS takes the viewer on a journey far, far from home. This completely CGI desert world hosts GCDS’s SS21 fashion collection right at its center, animated models rocking it down the runway. Dua Lipa, Raisa Flowers, Aweng Ade-Chuol, and a few more animated stars politely chill in the front row.

There’s no doubt that the collection draws us in, but it’s the meticulous details that truly awe us. The clothes billow as the high-cheek boned models strut the catwalk, outfits slightly shifting as they move. Aliens and other lovable characters sit in the audience, a member of the front row adjusts their sunglasses in the background as a model walks by. It is all impeccably done.

Though slightly distracted by the über cool arcade show GCDS crafted, the collection itself deserves praise as well. The menswear is quintessential streetwear, complete with clashing prints, oversized hoodies, and a heavy emphasis on complementary accessories. GCDS presents new cuts in these classic looks, bringing in refreshing prints, making it all aesthetically pleasing, modern, and even slightly futuristic. The mens’ looks even feature a couple of face shields, gently reminding us of the pandemic currently going on.

Nearly halfway through the presentation, the landscape shifts, vines growing and trees sprouting up around the venue. The sun sets, but the show must go on. A diverse cast of models, humans and aliens alike, confidently show off the latest from GCDS.

At the end of the presentation, the models stand within a tall, colosseum-like structure, giving us a final glimpse of their detailed universe. The show fades out on this stage on another planet, but it won’t leave our minds for a while.

Though the collection fits right into what we’re used to from the brand, it is an entirely captivating and boundary pushing show, impressively done. GCDS SS21 presents a true reflection of what’s happening in the world, and the outer world, around us.