For Spring, head of menswear design Ivan Tafuro and his team turned to cinematography for inspiration. Tafuro cited the 2016 movie Letters from War by the Portuguese director Ivo Ferreira, based on an epistolary novel by the writer António Lobo Antunes. He served in the Portuguese Army in Angola in the ’70s during the bloody Colonial War; his love letters to his pregnant wife are full of longing and despair. It’s a romantic movie, shot in evocative black-and-white.
Dondup is about a street style–inspired look, mixed with sporty and urban elements. It’s easy and comfortable, no fuss. Denim sits at the label’s core. The Spring collection was infused with a gentler vibe than usual: Pale pink suits and sweaters looked relaxed; camouflage was warped by floral motifs; delicate colors infused military-inspired field jackets with a softer twist. Dyes were used throughout the lineup to achieve a sun-bleached effect, smoothing even denim into a supple texture. Shirts in seersucker looked fresh, while tailoring had a comfortable, breezy feel. Dondup’s guy appeared serene.
