Known for its modern Mediterranean gothic aesthetic, Magliano’s AW23 offering was an elevated blue-collar wardrobe doled out in gloomy pastels. Its chief hero was the working class, embodied by “the fatigue” of working folk – or “il travaglio”, as they say in local dialect – so models were from all walks of life and garments were purposefully dilapidated. Playing with the paradox of proletariat glamour, a chic representation of Italy’s workforce was born in the underbelly of the Milanese school where the show took place, building off of last season’s similarly-oriented SS23 collection.
The driving force of the designs stemmed from the idea of “a garment missing a piece”, which urged the clothes to intersect, interweave, tie and transform. Think jackets with buttonholes and modular pockets that drove crazy the jaded structure of classics, stormy drapes for environmental shelter, tropical jackets, peek-a-boo mohair boxers or underwear and knotted asymmetrical outerwear. Long locks of hair dangled from leather belts; shattered glass bottle necks were pinned to lapels like upcycled brooches. It’d be remiss not to mention the subversive label’s collaboration with U-power too, a leading manufacturer of safety footwear that created hexagonal leather boots, mules and velcro-fasten dad-trainers to go alongside Magliano’s rugged denim and utility silhouettes.
It was also a mega sustainable assortment: for instance, old military blankets were reclaimed and made into cosy dressing gowns with surplus fabrics dominating Luchino Magliano’s designs. Former cashmere jumpers were refurbished as well, to convey the entrenched elegance of the wearer. Derived from flowers, the filling of Minardi Piume’s Flowerdown jackets was completely biodegradable too.
As the show transpired, the hybridised biomechanical sounds composed by Pan Daijing were punctuated by brief but irrevocably intense spoken words, saying “I take my bath in the ocean” and “I can’t get out”, once again playing with the notion of the paradoxical. Be it high-octane, grassroots or both, Magliano gives its power to the people.
Photography courtesy of Magliano.
