February 21, 2022 |
16Arlington’s AW22 catwalk was an emotional one. As guests departed through the doors of Yeomanry House, many wiped tears from their eyes. The collection, duly dubbed, Tears, was seen through to completion by only one of the brand’s two founders. Marco Capaldo. Federica “Kikka” Cavenati – his collaborator, best friend and beloved partner of nine years – passed away in November last year at 28-years-old. Inseparable in life and still so beyond the barrier of death, her lively spirit and playful wit lived on.
From the very start, Kikka’s peerless style came through in the floor-length monster-marabou coats, the wet-look feather scarves, the furry bucket hats and the waistcoats. Recognizable as ‘so her’, sky-high platform clogs and tailored razor-sharp shoulders were intrinsically glamorous. Dripping with fluid glitter detailing, crystals fell like tears across slate-grey gowns, exceptionally cut and tailored – each garment named after a star.
Really special were the hand-treated and dyed feathers unearthed from the label’s archive and concocted by Kikka herself before her passing, paired with low-slung micro-mini skirts and skin-tight vests.
In angelic white, 16Arlington’s signature silk shirts glided like water while translucent materials gently stained the skin, shimmering in the white light of the concourse. Leather, softened at the seams, was lavishly imbued with a lightness imperative to the luminosity of Kikka.
The array of hues was generous, just as she was kind-hearted and giving. Bound to fly off the shelves, flecks of rose pink and milk chocolate brown were imagined by Kikka before her death.
But to build such an impressive range in the midst of mourning, and without his partner, the autumn/winter collection would have been no easy feat. In an interview with Vogue, Capaldo said: “It’s been both immensely difficult and strange tackling this collection alone, but I think she’s been more present than ever.”
Managing to find solitude in his sadness while spending tearful afternoons hunched over his design desk – though nevertheless in agony – Capaldo’s actual tears, by chance, created a pattern. “A puddle of my tears formed onto a piece of fabric, ” he said. “I remember looking at it. I was like, ‘God, that’s so beautiful!’”
When Capaldo emerged from backstage, a pensive smile on his face, the crowd stood, offering a standing ovation for the designer’s unparalleled strength. Embossed on a folder that served as the show notes he wrote: “This one’s for you, Kiks,” because forever in her honour, the show must go on.
Photography courtesy of 16Arlington.
