N°21 SPRING SUMMER 2016 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
CONTRAST IMAGES
Levity, joy, carnality, passion, sensuousness. An unbound expression of imagination results in a totally fresh take on nonchalance, complete with a greater sense of awareness and very much of an edgy allure. In no way casual or off-hand. Quite the contrary, reflecting every woman’s unique and individual will.
Drawing upon influences from and re-elaborations of shots by Corinne Day (photographer who documented the forces and impulses of the ‘90s) and by the beautiful, eccentric Tina Modotti (who upset and nullified Latin American folk concepts with her Leica), Alessandro Dell’Acqua gives definition to the No. 21 spring-summer 2016 collection by making use of a creative process performed in a dark room where the images are inverted, overlapped and reworked through a concept of fashion coming forth as a tool for interpreting modern life.
It’s an unusual and coherent collection at once offering surprising twists & turns and confirming the signature style of a designer who, in pursuit of an exquisitely contemporary aesthetic, is always open to a re-evaluation of objectives.
So the ever favorite masculine/feminine mix finds strong renewal in the T-shirts worn under chiffon slip-dresses or lovely lace frocks, in the caban with passementerie and pom-pom trim, in the cady dresses with reams of ruffles plus pairing with a white shirt, in the textural contrast between coarse linen skirt and smooth crepe de chine blouse, in the deconstructed shirt draped dress.
Echoing this theme is a new sensuality that comes through in the macramé dresses in soft pastel shades, in the crepe pinafore, in the cotton lace dresses with chantilly lace overlay, in the floral print pajama-suits or floral skirt suit with upholstery passementerie edging, and in the sensually draped melange knit dresses.
All interconnects in the poplin jumpsuits ending in a top where folk-style embroidery takes on a smart Victorian slant; and also in the cupro outfits, in the tank tops and skirts made with strips of python leather, and in the graceful shoes presenting tribal-type decors and pretty pom-poms while at the same time uniting quite seriously with plain cotton kneesocks and/or with elongated severity-elegance totes.
These overlapping images of today’s many forms of femininity are framed with discreet strass tiaras that playfully vanish when they turn into sunglasses featuring ultra novel shapes and volumes all while entrusting the sparkle of eyes to the chromatic glints of the metal inserts of lenses.
So becoming metaphors for the lenses that Alessandro Dell’Acqua utilized to filter the images appropriated by his own life vision and experience and that in this No. 21 collection he transformed into seductive contrasts between emotions instrumental in writing original stories.
