September 20, 2022 |
Marco Capaldo creates clothing for unforgettable women; like his beloved partner of nine years and co-creative director, Federica Cavenati, was. She died unexpectedly last year, but like a north star, she continues to guide Capaldo at his SS23 16Arlington show, her spirit reverberating throughout the collection.
It’s clear that after last season’s solemn show left a room full of fashion folk in tears, Capaldo is ready to move forward with the plans for expansion that his late partner outlined prior to her passing. However, he told British Vogue that he was still trying to come to grips with the idea of being a man at the head of a womenswear label, and looked to his personal wardrobe for pieces Cavenati may have worn for sartorial inspiration.
What resulted was a shimmering sea of streamlined tailoring and glitzy party wear. While the AW22 edit was dripping with fluid glitter detailing, this season saw the forget-me-not flower as its primary point of departure. As a wildflower with petals of dusty-pink and faded lilac-blue, these hues were threaded in alongside canary-yellow.
Spacious, strapless slips – with pockets! – were coated in Swarovski crystals and counterposed by marabou faux-fur coats, python prints and rugged-look leather. Minimalistic outerwear was exceptionally cut and tailored from raw-edged silk satins too, with sharp power shoulders and floor-skimming hemlines.
But it wasn’t all love and light, black-on-black looks added a touch of Lydia Deetz’s gothic glamour to the offering, paired with sinister sky-high platform clogs decorated with studs, grommets and gladiator straps.
16Arlington turned the page this weekend, leaving guests with an abundance of goodwill toward Capaldo and an overall sentiment that felt both melancholy and triumphant. If there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that Cavenati’s spirit will live on in the effortlessly beautiful styles coming out of 16Arlington – we will forget-her-not.
Photography courtesy of 16Arlington.
