I can’t start this post without making a spontaneous reflection; two weeks ago these days I was in Milan following some eco-fashion things that interested me. Everything still flowed normal, hands clasped, kisses and hugs were given, public transport was full of people, as well as the streets of the city. Then that first case in Codogno made us all fall into complete dismay and slowly the country stopped completely, as well as our human and social contacts reduced.
It is with greater pleasure and commitment therefore that I inaugurate this month of March talking about two presentations I saw in those days, not only because this is one of the purposes of the blog but to remind everyone that there is always a first and a later in our lives and that we must not allow fear and distrust to lock ourselves in ourselves, isolating ourselves from the world. Taking all the necessary precautions is very right, but let’s continue to say yes to life and beautiful things, because all this will pass and there will always be a reason to be proud of the world in which we live..
Beautiful things such as the two presentations that have been, on the one hand a confirmation and on the other a discovery. The first came from the new collection by Tiziano Guardini, one of our favorite eco-designers, whom we have been following since the opening of the blog and whom we have always appreciated for his total commitment to a cruelty-free fashion that is as respectful of nature as possible.
The window of the Kartell store in via Turati was set up with the creations of Tiziano who, for the new autumn / winter 2020/2021 season, was inspired by the artist Kiki Smith, who in the last 30 years has investigated, dismembered and re-explored the theme of nature, with its magical and feminine side. Just as Kiki tells the most intimate stories of the female and animal world by transposing them on jacquards, sculptures and illustrations, Tiziano tells the most primordial part of a woman who is on the way to a full immersion within her roots, wearing garments made of fabrics that live a second life. Like the jacquards and checks by Lanificio Cerruti, which put together skirts, pants and blazers, combined with the regenerated Texmoda materials, also present in the designer’s last collection.
The collaboration with Aquafil’s Econyl regenerated nylon is also back, which we remember recovered from fishing nets and other recycled materials, for the duvets, while the knitwear is enriched by the statement ‘Heart needs Earth’, already present on the t-shirts made in past collections . And again here are some coats with Vegea, the company that makes coated fabrics from the scraps of Italian wine production, vegetable oils and recycled polyester.
The Econyl duvet and the t-shirt with the ‘Earth needs Heart’ statement
The journey of this woman is then protected by totem animals, represented in the form of jewels made of upcycled crystal, that is, reused Swarovski crystals; there are foxes, fish, hummingbirds, while other gargolla-shaped jewels, ornaments applied close to the spiers of the Gothic cathedrals to protect the sacred nature of the building, are created by Gianni De Benedittis, jewelry designer from southern Italy.
Each garment will come out with a label explaining the process and the name of the artisan behind it, providing an answer to the recurring question #whomademyclothes. The garment will also come out numbered as the entire collection is made out of archive fabrics donated by the companies involved.
If Tiziano Guardini was a confirmation, Francesca Marchisio was a pleasant discovery; although I already knew her style and work, I had not yet happened to see her clothes live, above all seeing a performance inside the Marcorossi art-contemporary gallery.
Francesca Marchisio founded the namesake brand in 2018 with the aim of combining pret-à-porter and industrial design in order to create clothes that simplify life; this is why the concept of transformation and reversibility, as well as sustainability, is at the center, linked to collaboration with suppliers of fabrics selected for attention to the environment in the production and printing processes.
Against the background of the evocative stone slabs of the Catalan artist Sergi Barnils, the models interchanged with each other wearing and taking off the garments of the autumn / winter 2020/2021 ‘simultaneous contrast’ collection or contrasts to find a rational balance between functionality and aesthetics.
Guiding concept of Marchisio style, this relentless pursuit of balance encourages the combination of colors, shapes and fabrics, which is well expressed for example with the reversible SHIFTING trench coat which, on the one hand, enhances the properties of wool for natural thermoregulation, while other, thanks to the mixture of the same wool with tone-on-tone organic cotton details, gives the garment a lightweight effect. Or with the BODILY biker jacket, on one side wool and on the other quilted technical fabric.
The SHIFTING coat the BODILY biker jacket the BODILY jacket in another nuance matched with the reversible wrap skirt
And again, the reversible double-wool coat to be used in multiple seasons, the duvets with Thermore padding made from recycled plastic bottles, the skirts in organic cotton or ‘wrap’ in eco-sustainable Naia acetate and organic silk or made with scraps of fabric then re-assembled in an attractive patchwork.
The Thermore duvet and the upcycled mixmatch skirt
So here, Francesca Marchisio and Tiziano Guardini, two eco-designers who combine ethics and couture with creations that are beautiful to look at and wear. We will continue to follow them, do it too.
From eco-à-porter, in this difficult moment not only for our country but for the whole world, a wish that everything can be resolved as soon as possible in order to return to enjoy such beauty.
