Twenty-three-year-old Giulio Zahnd from the Amsterdam Fashion Academy presents Snafu, a radical queer response to a world in crisis. The title, an ironic acronym from military jargon meaning “Situation Normal: All Fucked Up,” captures the feeling of a generation living through political setbacks, climate catastrophe, and social alienation. For Giulio Zahnd, fashion is not a luxury but a tool for survival — a shield, a voice, a protest.
His silhouette is a hybrid of prepper aesthetics, gender theory, and emotional exposure. It consists of three main elements: the INCH bomber jacket (I’m Never Coming Home), the EXIT knit dress, and the TRUTH underwear, complemented by the FUD heels (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). Each piece embodies a different dimension of identity, fear, and strength.
“I wanted to create an outfit that is loud, that screams — not out of anger, but out of will to survive. Something that shows our vulnerability and turns it into strength,” says Giulio Zahnd.
The INCH bomber jacket forms the centerpiece of the look. It is designed from the inside out. The brightly colored silk organza lining, usually hidden, is turned outward, symbolizing both visibility and vulnerability. Originally worn by pilots, the jacket becomes, in Giulio Zahnd’s interpretation, a queer cry for help — a sign of isolation, pride, and self-protection.
The EXIT knit dress stands for radical self-liberation. It breaks with shame and gender norms, setting the body in motion and turning it into a stage for identity and defiance. Together with the TRUTH underwear, inspired by safety harnesses, and the FUD heels, a fusion of Pleaser heels and trail shoes, the ensemble becomes a system of self-expression and boundary-crossing.
Snafu presents fashion as a manifesto of freedom, vulnerability, and resistance. It celebrates queer existence as a source of power and self-assertion in an unstable world.
