Above: Graphic plastic from Valentina di Noia
Dear Shaded Viewers,
The Accademia Costume e Moda kicked off the celebration of their 50th anniversary with this show of intriguing collections by the academy’s students, followed by an awards ceremony. The 12 collections shown were a delight of experimentation and exploration of new silhouettes. Here are the hightlights from my favorite collections.
Benedetta Morici’s “Glow in the Dark” collection juxtaposed rigid and soft fabrics, dark prints and metallic shine.
There was a bit of a Game of Thrones vibe going on.
We were all over the moon for Valentina di Noia’s plastic and PVC clothes, which won an award for the 2nd Best Collection shown this day. Di Noia works with, as she puts it, “colour, with fizzy mixes of a ’60s interpretation. The reds and blues of Godard, existentialist black, the colour of leather garments…” Great description.
Giulia Geria’s menswear bid farewell to “ties, perfect shoes and intact blazers. A salutation to social conventions in order to enjoy the fun for a whole day and then go back.”
I definitely need those furry sleeves for this New York winter….
Vittoria Veltroni featured “lights, shapes and details captured by a digital glimpse. The complexity of a city that turns into a plot. Surfaces that maintain their three-dimensional character.” Veltroni mixed tech materials with conventional fabrics to interesting effect. She took the award for 3rd Best Collection.
Giulia Goretti de’Flamini was inspired by “the conclusive angles from a deconstructive Berlin.” Neoprene was combined with wools for clothes that adapt to the shape of one’s body.
I really enjoyed Sabrina Pilkati’s “Poetry of Error” collection. An apt name for clothes with upside-down silhouettes, vestigial sleeves sprouting from hips and articulated veils that were straight out of a ’60s sci-fi film. Antonio Margheriti’s “The Wild, Wild Planet” pops into my head.
“The aesthetic and the beautiful can no longer coincide, but they can take on a new shape by make the extremes coincide,” says the designer.
Alessia di Livio’s “Blackfest” utilized leather, felt, wood, raw edges and graphic topstitching.
A little bit André Courrèges, “Rollerball”, “Clockwork Orange’ and dystopian baseball, Ambra d’Oro’s “3rd Base” collection was a game between macro and micro, hard and soft, rough and smooth.
“Aimed at a self-controlled woman who is however determined and aggressive at the right moment,” says the designer. Brava!
Carolina Cicerchia’s “Wood#y” menswear, which took the Best Collection Award and the Best Accessories award, employed simple, raw materials and refined treatments.
“Wood#y is a clear expression of the archetype of a man that preserves his elegance,” she says.
The show’s venue, Santo Spirito in Sassia, not far from the Vatican.
xxx
Glenn Belverio
