I have found so much beauty in the dark, as I have found a lot of horror in the light.” – Azereth Skivel

 

History reminds us that it is in the darkest moments that the human being overcomes the imposed limit of the internal human condition by generating beauty: from the dark Middle Ages the Renaissance flourishes, and (in more recent times) from the dictatorial Russian socialism the cultural revolution flourishes, the most interesting heritage of the last century. Personally, I have always preferred a silver lining to the blinding light of a full sun…

In these days of pandemic and terror which the writer Edgar Allan Poe would undoubtedly have “celebrated” in one of his short stories (King Pest – part 2, probably), I find myself observing rather than acting (often because forbidden to take action). I observe impassively, expecting nothing. I wait for the wonder, new and different, to overwhelm me, take me far away: with my mind, with my heart.

In fashion, nothing, or little, so amazing has happened. Nothing surprising despite the “favorable conditions”.

There are exceptions, deo gratias: few. This is the case of Altaroma that quietly chooses to postpone the event (traditionally linked to the month of July) to September, the month dedicated to fashion weeks.

The schedule is dense and alternates between real and digital (how many times have you heard this word?). «Nothing new then!», you may be telling yourself. But not, Altaroma does not betray our expectations and with meticulous attention, the Team selects young promises, visionary artists, brands of the made in Italy tradition.

It does that with care, with the intention of offering to the visitor – contingent and virtual – a unique, different show that does not want to copy the copied.

Altaroma is a small and big event, silent and sonorous, audacious in its intimacy.

I’m glad to be able to give voice and space to moments like these ones, telling what (according to me) is the best of the SS20 edition.

 

WHO IS ON NEXT?

Despite the global health care emergency, the most awaited initiative by Altaroma, Who Is On Next?, didn’t stop.

To win the 16th edition, the talented Dima Leu.

DIMA LEU is also the name of the label he creates in 2015. The brand redesigns sportswear in a sophisticated way, by bringing together sport and tailoring and mixing traditional men’s suits with two-piece tracksuits. His collections combine the freedom sportswear grants to the body with the style and elegance of the classic fabrics. This is how sporty, comfortable, and easy-to-wear garments are created which, thanks to their construction and the choice of fabrics, can replace a suit. Furthermore, the brand has adopted a sustainable approach to production since the very beginning, offering its clients some limited-edition entirely made in Italy garments with deadstock fabrics. Starting from the SS20 collection, thanks to the collaboration with Italian textile producers and to the use of fabrics they had in their archives, this approach has been extended to most of the collection.

To be mentioned, the DALPAOS friends.

I have known Nick (the founder) for a few years. We have collaborated several times and I attended his fashion shows several times, in different parts of the world.

His collections are always both concrete and material, both light and poetic.

DALPAOS originated as a capsule collection of unisex clothes made with fabrics recycled from furniture, unsold garments and unique artists’ designs. This has remained the basic brand concept: the combination of design and materials, of artistic inspiration and ethical products. Every season, with the expansion of collections, the brand takes shape and evolves gradually. Classic garments are reinterpreted in a modern way. High-quality fabrics, fine tailoring, ease of wear are all combined in the search for the perfect balance between classic and new. DALPAOS has worked with mostly natural products since the very beginning. Indeed, nowadays true research is about sustainability and ethics.

 

SHOWCASE

Showcase is a promotional window for new talents who wish to present their accessory and clothing collections to a public of fashion insiders. The project aims to establish commercial relationships and facilitate the connection B2B between emerging brands and national or international buyers.

As usual, I’ve selected three brands (to keep on eye on).

BLUE OF A KIND

Blue of a Kind is meant to be not just a fashion company, but rather a community built around an idea. The Blue of a Kind project has been primarily conceived and created in a post-modern cultural sphere, with the vision to define a new standard in 21 century’s fashion.

The Company believes in the possibility to reconcile uncompromised style, contemporary fit and products with a valuable heritage, together with a sustainable production process.

For this reason, all the products are made exclusively from vintage products handcrafted with the use of leftovers and surplus.

That’s the approach to “chic” in the contemporary age, mixing street-fashion and vintage to create a new, effortless and relaxed way to luxury.

 

FROY

Froy is a young brand, in which different cultures, solutions, and inspirations pulsate. The founder of the project is Arman Avetikyan, born in Armenia, grown up in Russia, and graduated in Italy. Moving in different realities becomes the expressive matrix of the designer: identity and multiculturalism siphon in the name of the brand, Froy, the “forbidden” surname of the founder.

The project is a path of research into the possibilities of knitwear, which explores original solutions using mixes of fabrics, reconciling traditional and innovative yarns, exploiting materials, and processes to obtain hybrid, versatile, and speaking surfaces.

In his collections, Froy links distant cultures, while capturing the connections between aesthetics that are only in appearance. The designer creates these distances in imaginary encounters, filtering through the prism of creativity, giving them form and perspective.

The key elements of this process are geometry and traditional cultures, which come together vividly in the designer’s illustrations. The main narrative tells stories of nine characters or cultures, moving in a city that represents the architecture of their relationships.

 

YEKATERINA IVANKOVA

YEKATERINA IVANKOVA is a brand founded in 2017 by Kazakh Yekaterina Ivankova. In 2000 she moved to Italy. In 2013 she accomplished a fashion design post-diploma course at Polimoda, Florence. Her passion for Central Asia, her culture, and the art of handmade products give birth to the first collection of the brand.

A trip in Asia to discover the silk, to smell the perfumes, the culture of the handmade fabrics – in particular, ikat fabric – a combination of technique and nature to create a unique product. in the latest collections, sustainability is part of the brand. Reworked, recycled, got from vintage garments, they became unique pieces.

 

SHOWS

DASSÙYAMOROSO

«I am an Alien!», the word Alien indicates anything or a subject foreign to the reference environment. The SS21 collection celebrates diversity and its intrinsic value of uniqueness.

It is a fusion of masculine and feminine that creates a new sensuality. Feeling free  – without barriers and breaking down all boundaries. Overlays and transparencies, fabrics that act as a second skin, and others that create volumes as a metamorphosis. Being alienated today allows you to come to terms with yourself and a connection with your own self by facing your doubts, insecurities, and silences. Listening to ourselves deeply will guarantee the development of a stronger personality, which will not be afraid of standing out and inspiring.

 

FRANCESCA COTTONE

The SS21 collection was born from the desire to express the ethics that belongs to designer Francesca Cottone through clothing.

MAINGENDER was born, which has its roots in the fusion of the word “main” and “gender” giving life to the basic concept: “human” – the human being as such, as free from any gender.

MAINGENDER is the evolution of the brand’s aesthetics, which does not want to focus on the binary division of gender, but rather wants to develop the concept of clothing as a unisex expression of style.

The focus is a reflection of androgynous identities, which combines both male and female characteristics to finds its maximum expression in the outerwear and in the details that make it up.

All the garments in the collection are innovative and no-season, with attention to detail, where textile and color contrasts coexist, tailoring studies that confirm the high quality of the brand’s Italian tailoring.