Italian Brands – Sofashion

Oversize glamour

An oversize suit by Italian brand Flygirl

The oversize clothing is a fashion trend that probably none of us has failed to notice in the past few years. Season after season, in fact, we have seen trousers, tops, blazers and coats, becoming dramatically wider, longer, and larger. Influential designers on the Italian and international fashion scene in recent times have ever more focused on the creation of a sophisticated urban style with innovative shapes and exaggerated proportions. On their side, fashion consumers have enthusiastically embraced the trend, be it for its aesthetics, or for a new, more compelling desire for comfort. Could it be that after the pandemic our lifestyle has evolved towards softer patterns, nurturing an increased awareness of the need for a slower pace in our society? If the answer is yes, these changes are certainly mirroring a new attitude towards fashion too, as the demand for trendy loose-fitted clothing tells about the modern woman’s desire for an original contemporary style, capable of being unique, refined and relaxed at once.
But to avoid misrepresentations of this new aesthetic, let’s not confuse it with the ‘grunge’ look, which also has often been characterized by extra-large garments. That 80s’ / 90s’ trend, as well as all its more recent reminiscences, was in fact strictly limited to casual clothing and street-style, whereas the contemporary oversize trend we are here referring to encompasses sophisticated designs capable of expressing elegance and charisma. Just think about the recent popularity of the oversize suit – a glamorous and empowering modern twist to a classic fashion staple – that has become a must-have in all the latest collections by the most renowned fashion brands. Not only the styles are smart and classy: fabrics are luxurious, and the tailoring is well-structured and impeccable, carefully avoiding the risk that what is ‘oversize’ gets wrongly perceived as ‘sloppy’ instead. Not crossing the line between oversize and too-large or wrongly fitted, in fact, could be tricky, yet to an expert eye this boundary is unmistakable: if the garment fits in some key areas and there is an appropriate balance, and – mostly – if it exudes style, creativity, and elegance in the overall, then the garment is as it was intended. One could see in oversize clothing a display of the gender fluid approach to fashion, or even an androgynous inspiration. More obviously, the oversize trend tries to define a more subtle sensuality, where the feminine shape is not immediately revealed by fitted clothing, but just perceived under a wider amount of fabric, accompanied by a sense of strength, self-confidence, and glamorous uniqueness.

Milan Fashion Week: the highlights

The Milan Fashion Week just came to an end few days ago, presenting fabulous Italian collections for Spring Summer 2023, beautifully designed garments that fashionistas around the world will be able try on next season in the most exquisite boutiques and stores.
With over 200 appointments, between shows and events, and thousands of visitors – buyers, models, photographer…and the many tourists attracted by the typical glamour of the sector – Milan Fashion Week has been an excellent opportunity to restart the Italian fashion industry at a fast pace after the recent difficult years.
Although we appreciated every moment of it, here is a list of our highlights, that is what we loved the most.

Armani

The Spring Summer collection 2023 by Armani was enchanting and wonderful as always. Giorgio Armani lives true to himself with very recognizable designs that remain within a clear stylistic sign, where lightness and natural elegance are predominant. Fil d’Or (Golden Thread)- the name of Giorgio Armani’s collection – alludes to the abundancy of sparkle, from the use of both shimmering and luminous materials and details, to bring, as the designer says, a little light in these turbulent days. But it is a soft sparkle, not a loud one, consistent with the classicism and the delicacy that has always distinguished the brand. The Armani show presented more than fifty looks, with elongated silhouettes, fluid lines, in soft and lightly coloured looks, both in the typical Armani’s neutral tones, as sand and pale grey, and in an unexpected declination of the blue colour in different shades.

Moncler

One of the most memorable events in this edition of the Milan Fashion Week was undoubtedly the Moncler’s show. The brand celebrated its 70th anniversary in the spectacular Piazza del Duomo, kicking off a 70-day program of international events. In honour of the brand’s foundation date, the show involved a total of 1952 people. Musicians, models, and dancers, all identically and choreographically dressed in white with the iconic Maya down jacket.

Gucci
Also surprising was the Gucci show, whose creative director Alessandro Michele explored the theme of identical twins. The designer imagined and realised a show marked by a very theatrical taste, staging 68 pairs of identical twins. The show featured amazing styles for the next Spring Summer season, mostly centered on a reinterpretation of the late ’70s and ’80s.

Elisabetta Franchi

Elisabetta Franchi displayed an exciting collection, drawing inspiration from the Latin world on the Southern hemisphere. A sensual collection packed with very feminine dresses, relying on the subtle contrast between sexy silhouettes, on the one hand, and the use of sophisticated neutrals only – white, cream, beige, chocolate brown – on the other hand. Mini skirts alternate with long ones, featuring fringes as a recurring motive. The geometrical theme and the use of ethnic prints are pervading the entire collection, gifting it with a sense of tribal elegance.

Moschino

Extravagant and ironic as usual Moschino has developed an ‘inflatable couture’ theme. The 2023 Spring Summer show by Moschino in Milan, in fact, featured an array of colorful styles of dresses and suits, everywhere accessorized with unexpected beach inflatables details. Because ‘ there’s no freedom without chaos” , as the designer once said.

Tod’s

At Tod’s the Spring Summer 2023 collection offers once again a perfectly classic and wearable wardrobe, devoid of any extravagant accent. And as always, the emphasis is on the exceptional quality of the materials used and the tailoring knowledge.

Fashion, the future is fluid

While most part of the older generation is still struggling with the mere notion of gender fluidity, in this very moment, out there, countless millennial and Z generation shoppers are searching for inspiration, buying clothes that can freely and creatively express a newly defined – or undefined – sexual identity. For these open-minded new generations who don’t fit in a box, gender fluidity is a very clear concept that is becoming a key factor even for the fashion sector. Both designers and retailers are starting to take this into account, in order to be able to respond to a demand that comes from an increasingly diverse clientele. But how would one define a gender fluid style? The concept goes well beyond the idea of subverting the fashion clichés so deeply rooted in our culture. Blue is for boys and pink for girls, we were thought, but just changing the rules is not sufficient now.
And it is not about creating or selling unisex clothing either, in the sense of neutral clothes that uniform and minimise sexuality. We could say that
while unisex collections are an understatement of gender and sexuality, levelling male and female designs under rather anonymous clothing, on the contrary gender fluid fashion is a fierce statement about the freedom to exhibit a very personal style, an unexpected self-portrait that disregards all gender norms and celebrates diversity. It’s about the right to represent everyone’s own sexual identity, beyond all ancient boundaries, taking in the fact that the perspective may change at any time. The results may be surprising some times at first sight, but they are often amazing in terms of style, innovation, creativity and expressiveness.
Obviously, the softening of the borders that divide genders is becoming a new source of inspiration, and fashion brands are increasingly proposing fluid atmospheres, designing garments that can appeal to both the feminine and the masculine, seeking an interpretation that is not binary, where a personal style, creative and unique – from the gender point of view as well – can take shape.
Italian fashion, as a world leader in terms of forward-thinking and creativity, is not going to step behind in the acknowledgment of the new gender perception. In Italy, the gender fluid fashion was anticipated, years back, by Italian designer, Giorgio Armani. The most peculiar trait of Armani, in fact,
has always been a fluid inspiration, capable of moving graciously from the female to the male universe and back, claiming and merging, for both genders indistinctively, sweetness and empowerment. Already at the beginning of the 80s’ Armani deconstructed the male ⁹ in order to adapt it elegantly to the feminine body, and started making male garments with soft fabrics, gifting the masculine wardrobe with effortlessly sophisticated pieces that, before then, belonged only to women.

At the beginning of FW 21/22 season, Italian luxury brand Gucci has launched MX, a gender fluid collection with its own dedicated section even on the official website. Presenting the collection, the Italian world-wide famous brand has clearly stated its intention, which is to celebrate self-expression in the name of gender equality, and to emphasize the dissolving lines of the gender divide, portraying the masculine and the feminine as very ephemeral and relative concepts. This dynamic and pioneering starting point will surely reflect on future collections by other brands, both Italian and international, be it high-end collections, or ready-to-wear productions, encouraging designers to take similar assertive steps towards inclusiveness. Let’s take note, as this is certainly not just a trend, but rather the evidence of a new cultural behaviour that is here to stay.

Geometric prints and patterns: a trend to watch out for

Geometric patterns have been all over the runways since a while, and this season is no exception to the consistency of this trend. Collections for the coming FW 2021 Italian fashion are also featuring a variety of geometric patterns. Classic check patterns, ‘pied-de-poule’ and tartan prints; small and large stripes – in monochrome or multicoloured; large modern prints or retro mini-prints that repeat geometric motives: all of this is too be seen throughout every category of Italian fashion’s womanswear in the coming months, in styles that go from casual and fun-to wear, to classic and statement-making outfits. Be prepared!

Myastreet
Motel SS 2021
Kontatto FW 21/22

Myastreet FW21/22
Kontatto FW 21/22
Kontatto FW 21/22

Joleen FW 21/22
Joleen FW 21/22

Kontatto FW 21/22
Kontatto FW 21/22
Relish FW 21/22

Relish FW 21/22
Relish FW 21/22

Contemporary chic by Aniye By

Aniye By is one of the fastest growing Italian brands in terms of popularity, as well as one of the most imaginative. Aniye By creates unique collections, particularly loved by the young and cosmopolitan fashionistas. The brand’s inspiration comes from an original blend of styles, where vintage fashion and punk atmospheres from the rocking ’80s, cohabit with contemporary silhouettes, bold colours, and trendy prints.
Collections by Aniye By are not for the faint of heart, as they express a strong femininity that can be rigorous and elegant sometimes, or daring and extravagant other times. Yet the mood is always tremendously chic and modern.
Long, voluminous dresses alternates with short and sexy bodycon dresses, just as romantic tulle in a rainbow of strong hues take turns with lather and faux-lather in black or metallic shades. The cutting-edge garments created by Aniye By are complemented by a line of accessories, including bags and shoes.
There is also a gorgeous beachwear collection, with bikini and one-piece styles featuring animalier prints, neon colour palettes, and intriguing lace inserts.
Products by Aniye By are entirely designed and made in Italy, and the brand is deeply rooted in the Italian traditional sartorial expertise. Find more about this brand on Aniye By’s official website on http://www.aniyeby.com

Italian style on the beach: the success story of Calzedonia

When you think about Italian fashion, the first pictures coming to mind are the ones of sophisticated and stylish ‘ensembles’: stunning models in gorgeous suits or dresses that are perfectly designed to enhance the beauty of their sculptural bodies, complemented by luxurious and refined accessories, exquisitely crafted. It may come as a surprise, then, to know that one of the most prominent Italian fashion brands, both at home and abroad, is related to something much more unstructured and simpler: bikinis.
We are talking about Calzedonia, one of the world’s most known brands for beachwear. The Calzedonia group ranks, in terms of turnover, among the leading Italian fashion companies, with a staggering 2.4 billions Euro recorded in 2019, just next to top names such as Armani.
Calzedonia actually started as a label specialised in socks, stockings, and tights, and that is where the name came from (in Italian ‘calze’ means stockings). The beach collection was added shortly after, achieving immediately an unprecedented success. Since the very beginnings, the winning strategy of Calzedonia lied in the concept of beachwear collections featuring a large and gorgeous variety of styles, with an abundance of prints and colours, always in line with the latest fashion trends. New and different collections released every year, in combination with both high quality standards and reasonable prices, are other reasons of the brand’s success. Since its foundation in 1987, the brand has been growing incessantly and has now over 2000 shops around the world. These beautiful bikinis can be bought almost everywhere: Milan, Rome, Paris, London, Barcelona, Moscow, and many other city centers around the world, and are also available online on Calzedonia’s official website: https//www.Calzedonia.com.
Within the Calzedonia’s group there are 6 fashion brands, each dedicated to a specific category, including Intimissimi, probably the most famous Italian chain for underwear, whose success is largely due to amazing advert campaigns that glorify the beauty of some of the world’s most famous models. Products designed by Intimissimi are refined but sexy, chic and minimalist at once, a blend that is not quite granted in the segment. The Calzedonia group has been constantly increasing its presence on the international market, and 64 % of its stores are located abroad. The group offers its collections exclusively in single-brand stores, operating through the franchising model, or directly under the group’s ownership.

The Flexibility of the Italian Ready-to-Wear Sector

Fashion is undoubtedly one of the most important sectors in the Italian economy, with more than 10,000 clothing manufacturers operating in the country. Just before the beginning of the pandemic, the total turnover for Italian fashion companies was close to 96 billions Euros, with a constant increase over the years. Similarly, there has always been an incessant growth in the export of Italian fashion products towards other countries: considering only the first six months of 2019, the increase in the turnover for the export in this sector was 7%. The demand for Italian fashion products comes mainly from neighbouring countries in Europe, from the United States, and, increasingly, from China, Japan, and South Korea.
Many of the Italian fashion companies are also organized for a fast-fashion, or ready-to-wear, production.The need to meet the increasing demand for products capable of reflecting all the new trends has pushed, in fact, many Italian manufacturers to adapt, and respond with a faster model, organizing themselves in order to make small productions of clothing through an extremely fast process. While made-to-order collections are produced over a relatively long period of time – approximately six months – the ready-to-wear fashion model focuses on the creation of limited collections continuously updated, made within a very short time, sometimes accomplishing all steps of the production cycle in just few weeks, with the ultimate consequence of allowing retailers to re-stock consistently and fast their stores. In the past, since its early beginning in the ’60s, this model of production in the Italian clothing sector was mainly associated with a low-cost, poor-quality product range . Through the years though, the situation has gradually changed, and the ready-to-wear production model started attracting companies with higher standards in terms of both quality and design. Nowadays, a significant and ever growing number of well-known, quality brands, previously only devoted to made-to-order collections – are taking advantage of the ready-to-wear production model, making their new creations available to retailers within much shorter deadlines. Furthermore, even for ready-to-wear garments with a lower price range than made-to-order collections, one has to note that the vast majority of the production, in fact, takes place entirely in Italy. Most of the times every step of the process, from the initial idea up to the smallest detail in the finishing, is made in Italy, benefitting from all the creativity and expertise of the Italian tradition in the field of fashion. The obvious result is the availability of products with high quality value, made in Italy and offered on the market at a reasonable and accessible price. Fashion has become a crucial sector in the Italian economy, growing steadily throughout the years thanks to the success and popularity of the Italian style around the world, that has reflected on the external trade. Nevertheless, the sector has suffered immensely – and it is still suffering – for the crisis brought on by the pandemic, with a loss estimated to be around the 30%. In this difficult months the
ready- to- wear production model has obviously performed comparatively better, thanks to its flexibility and ability to rapidly adapt to the market circumstances , including the stop-and-go measures imposed by the pandemic. Even retailers who were used to rely on made-to-order collections only, in the past months had to refer to the available fast fashion products.

The latest trend is sustainable fashion

More and more often sustainability is being recognized as a serious issue even in the realm of fashion. The concept of sustainability refers to the fashion sector implying
an approach towards sourcing, manufacturing and designing clothes centered on minimizing the impact on the environment, as well as safeguarding the social communities involved in the productive process.
With an increasing demand from consumers for products which are environmentally sustainable, leading designers and major global brands have been undertaking the green direction, and advert campaigns are clearly portraying the new desire for responsibility and commitment towards the environment.
Fashion is known as one of the most polluting industry on the planet. It is a while since the various aspects related to the environmental impact of fashion have clearly emerged: among others are the use of highly polluting chemicals during the dyeing process; the enormous problems caused by micro plastics ending up in the oceans, derived from the laundering of synthetics textiles; the impossible management of tons of textile waste, generated every day by the low-cost, fast fashion system.
The current health crisis has accentuated the awarness of how much nature and human activities are interconnected, in a way where failure to respect the former has ever more catastrophic consequences for the latter.
The need for sustainability in the fashion sector has been a much shared feeling in the most recent months, and personalities, like Giorgio Armani, made clear statements on the need for change. When the epidemic was at its pick in Italy, the designer made an announcement about his willingness to reduce the number of annual releases and parades, partially or totally abolishing pre-collections. Armani pointed at the hyper-accelerated production model typical of the fast fashion, and its enormous consequences for the environment, highlighting the fact that luxury takes time to build, and, as such, it should be associated to pondered consumption, while the endless manufacturing cycle seriously harm both creativity and the planet. According to the designer, in such particular times
people will more often buy clothes that last, rather than fall in the usual craze consumption circle, and beauty and quality will be prominent again. In this new scenario, there are strategies that can be adopted by the whole of the fashion system in its complexity, in order to address the environmental concerns, and satisfy the increased demand for sustainability.
Actions being undertaken in this direction ranges from expanding the use of organic fibers to the promotion of chains of production that can prove respectfulness for the related natural and social environment. The
adoption of recycling policies by big and small players in the industry is already in place and widespread, and, on the other side, companies and individuals are getting ever more involved in the development of a circular economy in the sector – examples of which are the various online sites that offer the possibility to buy, sell, rent or exchange clothes and accessories. From its end, Italian fashion has all the cards to face the new challenge, even though it may not yet be aware of it, and still does not fully exploit this potential. In fact, the Italian production by its own nature, given the typical high quality standards, relies largely on natural materials, such as organic cotton, linen and silk. Furthermore, made in Italy garments, even in the case of ready-to-wear products, always have an added value from the point of view of both quality and aesthetics. Italian clothing represent unique pieces gifted with the characteristics of durability, not responding to the connotation of ‘disposable’ fashion that is nowadays so clearly associated with the fast fashion production.