Let’s continue our journey through the most interesting collections from the point of view of knitwear, seen at the shows of the Italian women’s fashion week held in February 2022.
Loro Piana with Alessandra Varianini as creative director, chooses a style that is less feminine than usual and much more androgenic, while maintaining the sophisticated appearance and the classic and clean lines typical of the brand. The latter are updated in a more modern mix with very contemporary layering and general styling. The idea is that of an “explorer” woman with rain boots and cashmere sweaters. Timeless in their simplicity and cleanliness, the knitted garments reflect the desire for unstructured lines and a different comfort than the one sought in previous years by the brand’s collections.
To see the entire collection: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2022-ready-to-wear/loro-piana
At Roberto Cavalli the current creative director, Fausto Puglisi makes a “return to origins” operation, in his first collection as creative director, reinserting typical elements of the brand from its origins, such as animalier and floral prints and mixing them with distant elements from the Cavalli-world such as tartan and the bondage theme. The latter is the leitmotif of the whole show. Even in knitted garments, the effect of bands, belts and buckles that wrap around the body is made through strips of fabric or knit instead of leather belts, which are instead very present especially in black in dresses. The dresses are many and varied, both long and short, but they almost always have the “cage” effect upper part in common with the overalls. This is always a look that American pop stars like a lot, see for example Jennifer Lopez with one of the catwalk looks at the IHeartRadio Music Awards worn to perform before receiving the IHeartRadio Icon Award 2022 in the event that took place in the month of March 2022.
For Max Mara, creative director Ian Griffiths was inspired by the works of artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp, a Swiss exponent of the Dada movement active between the 1920s and 1940s. From the point of view of knitted garments, we find the simple and geometric shapes of the artist’s works shown in the inlays of the garments that take on a sense of almost childish and naive geometries, albeit in a well-studied way in the lines and combinations of colors that make the whole thing quite sophisticated. Balaclavas are very frequent in the show, a utility accessory to protect motorcyclists and skiers from the cold, cleared in fashion a few seasons ago and always at the top of their charm, made and worn like this. There are many effects of padding and stitching on knitted garments that create very interesting 3D effects.
Francesco Risso da Marni alternates the deconstruction of the garments with an elaborate tailoring. As for the knitwear before the show he and the Marni family said this: “Is a repaired sweater older or newer for mending?“. The collection revolves precisely around this phrase, in fact there are many apparently “broken” garments or that seem badly worn. The location of the fashion show, which has been studied really well, looks like the Alice in Wonderland forest, in which models who often parade with particular headdresses, refer to fairytale creatures and punk at the same time.
It is the turn of Miu Miu. Here Miuccia Prada combines very short tennis skirts with exposed underwear with oversized jackets and long coats to accentuate the contrast. Both men’s and women’s polo shirts are beautiful, among the latter some stand out with lace inserts and transparencies created in truly well-studied ways. Many striped zipped cardigans with polo collars. Beautiful braided chenille ones with a vintage 70s flavor. The inlaid garments with argyle motifs are very beautiful in their classicism, present both for women and for men oversized and in the cropped and fitted versions for women.
The Etro fashion show triumphed in knitwear. Vittoria Etro tells creative direction that she imagined as if the aliens had arrived on earth 200 years from now and had looked at the Etro archive through magnifying glasses. In the collection we therefore find the typical Kashmir motifs that have made the brand famous and are its stylistic code in a new expanded and enlarged look like through magnifying glasses. Beautiful collection in which for knitwear stand out dresses, skirts and fringed tops, which reflect the ethnic taste typical of the brand and the suits with paisley/kashmir motifs rendered in high definition multicolor jacquard. Also beautiful are a couple of fineness 3 or hand-made knits with fancy yarns with a very large title. Among others then cardigans and tops up to knitted accessories. The general inspiration of the 70s and 80s certainly reflects the desire to offer itself to a younger audience than usual.
We close this article with the video of the Ermanno Scervino fashion show. For the knitwear pieces the brand offers just a few pieces but of the highest level. Among them a white braided sweater with sequin embroidery and some sweaters in plain jersey but with hand-made collars made up with mega super scenographic knitted chains. In general, the collection is beautiful, very right for the brand, the combinations of bold colors and the particular and truly beautiful tones chosen as a whole.