February 27, 2024 |
Loro Piana’s AW24 men’s and women’s collections reminded us that technical savoir faire will always be in style. Honouring 100 years of Loro Piana history and heritage, both collections were based around the brand’s “fiori di cardo”, a thistle flower that was used to brush and raise artisanal cashmeres during the finishing process. (That brambly flora has also been found in the house’s coat of arms since 1951). The Graphene comes into a play, too; a heat-conducting membrane used in certain garments for even temperature distribution across the body.
Womenswear offered a playful combination of the masculine and feminine codes. An outdoorsy was conveyed in jackets, trench coats, anoraks and blousons all in a rich palette of creamy camels, dusty khakis, mossy browns and burgundys. Elongated silhouettes included beefy tuxedos, band-collar jackets and blazers with embroidered lapels which juxtaposed silk blouses, satin knee-length skirts and slinky dresses – one was completely covered in sequins, perfect for a night on the town.
The menswear included unconstructed blazers, roomy overshirts, delicate turtle-neck knits and an array of jackets (field, bomber, puffer) each cut with a lived-in sense of ease. Tailoring was softened, with single and double-breasted tuxedos being paired with plush shearling coats and stand up collar Spagna shirts doing away with bowties. There were also cardo-shaped pins which were used to close collars in an homage to Sergio Loro Piana, who was known to turn his collars up with the lapels closed in order to maintain the softness of the fold. It was elegance renewed.
Photography courtesy of Loro Piana.
