September 24, 2023 |
There’s an air of lightness in Milan this season. Mrs Prada and Raf Simons created the ghost-like Haze dresses that floated almost suspended in mid air, the girls at Versace glided angelically in short, delicate dresses, and at Gucci, it was about a slate-cleaning simplicity. That lightness struck again yesterday at Ferragamo. Maximilan Davis said he wanted things to feel “a lot lighter, both in terms of fabric and construction but also in terms of how people want to dress”.
It was a solid continuation of his Ferragamo reign, this season inspired by the juxtapositions of Italy’s Arte Paver movement and the familiarity he has noted between the way Italian and Caribbean people dress and live, with ease and effortlessness. Here came a complete wardrobe for spring/summer: suit jacket sleeves were sliced to become cape-like and breezy, zippers were double-ended to create flattering silhouettes, tiny shorts were paired with oversize sweaters, and cotton dresses were long but light. “I really wanted the pieces to feel very pure and honest; for the collection to be relatable within a wardrobe, but interesting in terms of the touch of the hand,” Davis said.
Stilettos came with T-shapes grounded in beading and stones, or cuffed, and loafers were given kitten heels. The bags were bold and bigger – another similarity seen at various shows this week – and came in pouches that were worn under arms or shaped into practical shoulder bags. It felt like a new chapter for Davis’ Ferragamo, considering the deep red he had fixated on in his past collections was barely there, this time replaced with a sage green. A state of Ferragamo zen.
Photography by Christina Fragkou.
