Demna Gvasalia may have put Georgia on the map as a progenitor of fashion talent, but a crop of designers, new to us, are determined to keep it there. Six labels have been chosen to debut at Pitti Uomo, the international trade show in Florence where unusual talents (Shayne Oliver first demonstrated his proficiency with fine tailoring and leather there) bloom. The organization has christened Georgia the guest nation of the upcoming Pitti Uomo, which takes place June 12 to 15 in Florence.

Of the five designers showing, one name might already be recognizable to sharp-eyed fashion fans: Irakli Rusadze, who is showing two labels: Aznauri and The Situationist. His clothes have been worn by Bella Hadid, and he’s no doubt destined for a swift, meteoric rise. But our favorite label from the Georgian lineup at at Pitti would have to be Gola Damian. Sussing out his collections was a great introduction to our newest new guilty pleasure: reading the sharp, in depth show reviews Liana Satenstein chronicles for Tbilisi fashion weeks on Vogue.com. They’re self-aware and often unimpressed. And more often than not, deeply cutting.

“Gola Damian is one of Georgia’s hottest upcoming designers. He’s beloved by Tbilisi’s It-kids and is sold in the city’s hip Chaos Concept Store. He’s also been gaining fans internationally: Dree Hemingway has a pair of his clunky-soled boots from Fall 2016. Despite his success, or perhaps because of it, Damian has been grouped in a box with fellow better-known Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia.”

“Despite his success, or perhaps because of it”!! “Dree Hemingway has a pair of his clunky-soled boots”!!!! These are the kinds of details and brutality that is MIA in the rest of Vogue’s extensive archives. Satenstein is sassy as hell and that’s just how we like it. We were grooving on the bright abstract shapes and retro silhouettes of Damian’s Fall ’17 collection, but Satenstein isn’t have ANY of it. She writes,

“He needs to gain a stronger reputation when it comes to dealing with customers and creating a dependable business. The label has had delays in shipping, and last season he didn’t show a collection. (Rumor has it, it was his birthday the night before—and it was a long night.)”

Give her her own site!