Redemption founder Gabriele Moratti has been as depressed by the headlines as any of us, and he’s not shy about vocalizing it. Faced with a blank page for his new collection, he retreated into music, as is his habit. “I realized that my playlist was a throwback to the ’90s, which was the last time I felt I didn’t recognize my place in the world,” the designer said. “I was just feeling like I didn’t want to be a part of it.”
Then, fueled by the usual suspects—Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and a dash of Mahler—he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. This season, his take on “Parisian rock-glam” included a fully sequined tuxedo and separates in tartan or tweed mixed with tulle, leather, or lace details. The red sequins on a black background are a salute to Kurt Cobain. Elsewhere, the brand has been shifting its focus to daywear-slash-sportswear, and once again Moratti decided to throw “combat gear” into the mix, with a roomy, all-purpose, and refreshingly unadorned army jacket made with his Women’s March friends in mind. Rock ’n’ roll doesn’t have to mean studs and sequins, he noted: “Jim Morrison, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan—they all had a uniform that was pretty simple.”
That Redemption has caught the attention of a few rock-star wives comes as no surprise. Moratti may be passionate about rock, but he is also a clear-eyed pragmatist. His decision to focus on sexy, rock-chick wardrobe solutions that also happen to be responsibly made will resonate with his audience far more effectively than overthought design contortion would.
Organic growth is the backbone of the plan—a tuxedo Moratti made for himself, for example, recently led to a bespoke business among his Italian clients. And once the brand begins to turn a profit, 50 percent of it is earmarked for charities.
“I don’t believe in waiting around for politicians who are halfway decent,” Moratti said. “But I do believe that fashion can change the world.”
