Betcha never thought you’d see a grandpa cardigan from Fausto Puglisi. As Puglisi’s brand reaches the seven-year mark, the Italian designer perhaps best known for flashy embroideries—he famously dressed Madonna for her Super Bowl halftime performance—is intent on expanding his repertoire. And so he put some slouchy mohair cardigans in his Pre-Fall lineup, Fausto-ifying them with mismatched rhinestone buttons and his signature color-blocking, and, for good measure, pairing them with floor-scraping tulle skirts in a rainbow of different hues or with nothing at all, save for red velvet combat boots.
T-shirts printed with the word “Inferno” are likewise part of the brand’s growing sweep. But why Inferno? Is it the name of a particularly steamy nightclub? Puglisi clarified that he’s been considering Caravaggio’s work and what he called the dark side of humanity. “In a political moment as this,” he said, “it seems there’s no compassion. It’s like if heaven is only guaranteed for the richest, my sympathy for the excluded and the ‘forgotten’ human being is more profound than ever.” If we’re all dancing on the lip of a volcano, might as well do it in an Inferno tee, right? Leather boxer shorts, puffer jackets, and a Perfecto jacket with studding details are all of a piece with his earlier output.
But elsewhere, there are other signs of the brand’s ongoing evolution. See Pre-Fall’s expansive array of outerwear—some jackets and coats with touches of curly shearling—and quite sophisticated white silk shirting and a super slip dress trimmed in black Chantilly lace.
