Milan

Men’s – Refined-At-Home. Ermenegildo Zegna AW21

| Design & Culture by Ed

The “phygital” men’s Milan Fashion Week started really well with Ermenegildo Zegna‘s stunning exercise in stay-home refinement. Alessandro Sartori, the brand’s creative director, won’t let Zegna clients do WFH style in basic sweats. Just like the architecture of Milan’s Bocconi campus (Zegna’s HQ) in which the collection was framed, the clothes on show were hyper-contemporary yet contained echoes of past forms; some jackets in suede or felted cashmere bore lapels split at the collarbone, or pockets cut on the hip. Fine knit or even nylon turtlenecks – loose at the throat to create a fresh substitute for the shirt collar and consign to history the tie – had buttonable cuff details. These details were nods to a lineage of traditional tailoring that increasingly seems relegated to habit and history, yet the philosophy of tailoring was refreshed and applied to forms once deemed beyond it. Chore coats, updated leisure suits, and softened outwear—often with slit sides to allow the hands to nestle in cozy internal pockets – will all be offered on a made-to-measure basis for men and women. Like the single shoe style of the collection – a rubber-sole, shearling-lined slipper – these garments were built to service a post-pandemic world in which business life is expanded beyond the office to the home, or as Sartori put it, “a world where the indoor and the outdoor are colliding.” The indoor world was shown via a studio set of 12 open-wall rooms in which the models lived their best Zegna lives, sometimes connected, sometimes apart. Ultimate highlights of this season? The striped jacquard wool suit and overcoat and many of the cashmere jersey pieces which are in line with the Zegna “Use the Existing” policy of presenting its collections in fabrics made from materials recovered during the manufacturing process, a philosophy that is continuously being expanded in partnership with house suppliers to apply right down to shoe linings. Other items, like a long green coat in quilted suede or oversized sweaters decorated with stitched leather, might have been entirely new to existence yet demanded to be worn into vintage old age.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

The Look(s) – Prada SS21

| Design & Culture by Ed

I knew I would end up being obsessed with the new Prada, co-designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. The nylon wrap-coats from the show (which we’ve all seen live-streamed from Milan back in September), with utilitarian, triangle-shaped pocket on the back, yet draped and cut in a lady-like, statuesque silhouette, are the definition of contemporary elegance and a sharp exercise in refinement.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Intimate Tactility. Bottega Veneta SS21

| Design & Culture by Ed

Here it is: one of the most anticipated collections of the season, presented publically three months after the usual spring-summer schedule. Daniel Lee came up with the most challenging and intriguing line-up yet, proving that his Bottega Veneta isn’t just about hype accessories. Back in October, selected guests arrived at Sadler’s Wells in London and sat on the stage immersed in light and sound as models wearing Lee’s new collection snaked through the socially distanced chairs. Had the pandemic not prevented it, Lee would’ve liked to take the concept around the world. “It was a bit like going backwards and thinking about how fashion shows began. This idea of salon shows,” he explained. “It felt extremely intimate and much more personal.” Throughout the show, which rather felt like an improvised happening, Neneh Cherry’s musings on style and clothes were the soothing soundtrack. The collection is defined by its tactility. Much of it is knit, sometimes in quite thick-gauge yarns. The jacquards practically pulsate, and there are dresses made entirely from car seat beads or tiny shards of pearlescent shells. Lee studied knitwear at Central Saint Martins, so no wonder why he feels confident with this medium. Case in point is the stretch-knit skirt suit in Bottega green that opens this look book. With its buttoned-to-the-neck cropped jacket and its mini-length carwash hem skirt, it doesn’t so much speak to our shut-in moment as it does gleefully anticipate our reemergence. “I wanted to create a world and a universe that felt very glamorous and done up, but also quite stripped and quite pure,” Lee said. “I’m always interested in this idea, of how you can feel done up and elegant at the same time as feeling comfortable. That’s really my kind of mission for Bottega.” Lee saved his boldest experiments for silhouettes. Many of the dresses are built up at the hips with padding. On a raw linen sundress the padding is hidden inside, but on a series of knit dresses it’s exposed as surface decoration. He explained that they were looking at the Tudor period, Henry VIII specifically. It’s a demanding shape, which will definitely keep the clients surprised and amused. And yes, all this creativity emerged from the early months of the pandemic makes it more impressive. On that subject Lee said: “A lot of us moved to Milan for Bottega, and obviously with the world shut down, all we really have is each other at the studio and the work. It’s almost like a therapy. It gets you through the darkest times because you can completely lose yourself in making a beautiful fabric, a beautiful garment.” So, not everything is becoming virtual, after all.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Voyager. Etro Pre-Fall 2021

| Design & Culture by Ed

For the past few seasons, I take peeks at Etro and I must admit that something good is going on there. Comparing to the pretentious dustiness I always had in mind when thinking of the Italian brand, now I’m really intrigued with its fresh, revived care-freeness. And guess what – it’s not about a new creative director, since Veronica Etro designs womenswear since 2000. “I’m a natural-born optimist, I always try to see the glass half full,” said Veronica to Vogue during a Zoom review of Etro’s pre-fall 2021 collection. Italy is still in its second lockdown with no sign that Christmas travels will be possible, but Etro nevertheless sounded positive. “When we finally get out of this – and we will get out of it sooner or later – we’ll be ready to enjoy life to the full again. To travel, to party, to meet with friends, to get our freedom back,” she said. With her hopeful disposition, Etro hasn’t been tempted in the least to propose the elevated version of the stay-at-home loungewear that many designers have turned to for their post-pandemic collections. She believes that fashion should help women to be better versions of themselves, no matter the circumstances. A need for comfort is an inevitable byproduct of our present WFH limitations; it can’t be ignored. However, she said, “Etro has always been about a natural sense of ease, so I didn’t have to change my perspective much. It’s more about celebrating the freedom we’re craving to go back to. I thought about the future, about the clothes we’ll feel good in, and how we’ll enjoy getting dressed.” The collection reads as a free-spirited round-up of the best of the label, individual pieces as imaginative and romantic as they are effortless to wear, spiced up with a dash of Etro’s haute-bohemian flair, and all worn by a community of diverse characters. Paisley-printed garden party dresses alternated with soft tailored pantsuits in plush velvet, while languid tapestry dressing gowns, richly printed kimonos, and jacquard-knitted cozy wool cardis looked versatile enough to sit comfortably in a masculine/feminine wardrobe. “Traveling is always a learning experience and I miss it terribly,” said Etro. So much so that in the look book a model carries an amusing XXXL paisley-printed shopper, big enough to hold the entire collection. A true voyager’s dream!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Beautiful And Practical. Jil Sander Pre-Fall 2021

| Design & Culture by Ed

Lucie and Luke Meier‘s Jil Sander always feels like blank canvas, in a good way. No non-sense references, just delightful, soft minimalism that will never be “out”. And, you will love it even while staying at home. “Fashion is always a commentary,” reflected Luke. “It’s actually a very reactionary phenomenon, in that it reacts towards the zeitgeist, the moods and emotions of people or else towards a certain music or artist. So it’s only right that now you feel that need for ease in collections. What’s happening, it’s just impossible to ignore no matter how much designers are prone to live in a sort of creative bubble.” Lucie chimed in during a Zoom call with Vogue from the Jil Sander showroom: “This is presently the world we have to face, so we felt that in our work, it is really important that we’re not totally in dreamland. Our reality dictates today a different approach, whereas in other moments as a designer, you gravitate more towards a different set of references and inspirations. But we really felt that this is now and you just can’t ignore the different way we’re interacting together.” Having quarantined in their apartment in Milan, the Meiers wanted the collection to convey a more homey feel, albeit rendered with their exacting sophistication. To further channel the message, the look book was shot in an apartment, a modernist space mirroring the polished minimalism they favor (this part felt quite Bottega-Veneta-ish). Sensitive to the mood-lifting role fashion has to play now, they introduced a touch of spirited softness, a sort of feel-good factor which complemented the collection’s yin-yang dynamic between the ease of sporty practicality and the elegance of their chic, angular tailoring. Case in point: slightly oversized masculine blazers, whose straight-cut precision was contrasted by the delicately embroidered circle skirts and slender yet luscious dresses they were worn with. This year’s ubiquitous track pants were elevated in soft Nappa leather and worn under a collarless, sharp-cut jacket. It made for a cool silhouette, a kind of of-the-moment alternative to the classic tailored pantsuit. The intimacy, warmth, and protection we’re all craving inspired a series of great knitted pieces. An oversized wool-silk sweater was wrapped with a huge matching scarf, while a form-fitting, sporty ribbed dress opened to reveal soft cashmere leggings underneath, its exaggerated collar becoming an enveloping cape when unzipped. Artsy Bauhaus-inspired jewelry, including golden ribbon-shaped portrait necklaces and sculptural bracelets, added a dash of vibrance, while oversized bags in luxurious, supple leathers looked comforting and pillowy in a tactile, playful way. “Let’s be realistic—fashion isn’t going to cure the problems we’re in today,” the Meiers concluded. “But if putting on something beautiful elevates our mood a little, if we can provide something that’s inspiring as much as it’s practically useful, that’s then us doing a good job.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.