Best Of the Best Of: Polimoda Graduate Show 2015

Dear Diane and Shaded Viewers, 

Earlier this week was the Polimoda graduate show at the beautiful Villa Favard. Out of the twenty students selected to present their year’s work, I have chosen four to share with you. 

Armando Punzetto’s use of high-tech materials was evident with a focus on what looked like a coated canvas, but absolutely wasn’t. And he was clever with these textiles, as they did not take over but allowed for architectural forms and an entire collection of women in pants. In their most beautiful form, they were wide-legged and tacked-up; a detail that made for safer walking and a peak-through shoe, without cutting off the length of the leg. Simple, clever. This collection was one of the most interesting and elegant moments of the whole show.

Samira Yusifova’s menswear collection was full of ideas, even more than I first realised. It was a layered story of coated fabrics, quilting and velvets; charming and unkempt, for a kind of overindulged classicism. Sleeves and waists were cinched with rope to bring it in a little, and what I originally thought were abstracted floral prints, were of course laminated lettuce leaves into fabric.

Although the drawings were charming in a similar vein of Christopher Kane Fall 2015, the silhouettes and ceramic breastplates in Benedetta Bianchini’s collection contextualised these illustrations with a completely different emotion. This presentation was very well considered and personal, including elements of restraint and freedom, uniformity and irregularity; not unlike being a young woman today.

Alessandro Trincone’s menswear is wonderful. I usually have a problem with garments that are completely unwearable but this time it didn't bother me at all, and of course that means something. It was strangely aggressive in the same way that an enormous bouquet of flowers that you can barely carry is. I was moved. Well done. 

Happy Saturday, 

Sophie Joy

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Sophie Joy Wright

@sophiejoywright