From the passion for sneakers to resell. Andrea Canziani, founder of Dropout Milano, tells us what’s behind the great opening of the first resell store in northern Italy.
Hi Andrea! First of all I wanted to start with a very direct question: where does the name "Dropout" come from?
The name has a very nice story because we are all very related to the term "sold out": it’s funny when we have the opportunity to cop something that "sold out" but most of the time it's more of a “hell, that already sold out”. At the same time "Soldout" would have sounded a bit obvious. Playing with words we arrived at "sold out release" and finally "sold out drop"; then one of the partners linked the term to the first Kanye album (The College Dropout) and it definitely fits the meaning perfectly!
Do you think that consignment will play an important role in the creation of a Milan and Italian community?
Surely we mainly look forward the Milan and Northern Italy market but obviously any guy during his vacation in Milan could easily come to the store and bring or trade its pieces. We directly aspire to the "big" of consignment, Flight Club in first place, to bring to Italy exclusives gems and releases.
Dropout will be the first resell/consignment store in Milan, the fashion capital. Does the idea come from a "need" or a "desire" to make streetwear more accessible to the general public?
Basically, I'm from Milan so this is home for me but we still have to consider that, even if it is not the capital city, Milan is more important than other Italian cities. "Need" and "desire" go hand in hand together. On the one hand there is my desire to put passion into practice and make it a business, from a pleasant hobby to a real organization; on the other hand, Italy and Milan first of all, are getting very close to streetwear culture thanks above all to rappers, trappers and influencers. These circumstances perfectly intersect.
Less than a year ago the first official resell shop in Italy Big Soup opened in Rome, and now it's time for Dropout. Is it a sign that something is changing in the Italian sneaker game?
Absolutely yes. In my opinion, buying through resell will be more and more affordable for everyone since the plausible decrease prices and the increase in quantity of both sneakers and the number of models. Kanye himself stated "Yeezy for everyone", in opposition to the Nike policy adopted with Yeezy few years ago. On the other hand I tell you that it will be difficult to get shoes because with the increase of sneakers the number of people willing to buy them will increase as well.
Finally, a question concerning you but streetwear in general too: how do you see your store in ten years?
In addition to things we talked about before, we will also be a container for emerging brands and new realities. The goal is certainly also to be a showcase for them. The store itself, Dropout, will be a brand built in order to create a large family. As I said, my goal is to get as close as possible to the headmaster of resellers, Flight Club. Among other things, we immediately start with an app associated with the store, Hype Analizer, to ensure maximum transparency through consignment. A feature most of the giants from the market still did not acquire.
Thanks again to Andrea for staying with us! We expect you all on September 16th, for the great opening of Dropout Milano in Via Urbano III, 4.
