Etro the brand was born in 1968. Kean Etro was born in 1964. And Veronica Etro was born in 1974. According to both brother and sister today, that chronology precluded any sibling rivalry when they were kids. Said Veronica, “He was in Switzerland, in school, and I was in Milan, so we found each other later.” Added Kean, “I used to go to London when she was studying at Saint Martins and say, ‘Come, please come.’ I was doing a lot and I needed my sister. And she joined in. And now . . . ” With this he smothered Veronica in a big, bearish, fraternal hug. “Power to women, always.”
This tender scene came thanks to a show at which Kean brought his menswear collection out of the menswear schedule to present it alongside his sister’s womenswear to mark the 50th anniversary of the house. Brother and sister borrowed from each other—Veronica’s women wore Kean’s embroidered jacquard jackets and his men wore her jeweled velvet robes and silk printed waistcoats. They also both borrowed from genres and styles and moments of history that crossed over with that of the paisley pattern that has so defined Etro since its introduction there in 1981. Cricket jumpers, jodhpur trousers, five buttoned Beatles jackets, and boho chiffon maxi dresses hinted at the multigenerational occidental assimilation/appropriation of this ancient Persian/Indian pinecone motif. Sherwani-cut robes and sari necklines doffed their caps to its origins.
The collection started out colorless, as a sort of birthing moment, and it served, very interestingly, to display the really excellent cutting of Veronica’s dresses: She doesn’t need to drench her designs in gorgeous pattern to achieve gorgeousness. Soon enough, though, the kaleidoscope kicked in. Two recurring flashbacks from women’s are a Lurex-edged orange gown with embroidered bodice featuring two elephants on the back (41) and a silk paisley foulard dress in green (73)—both mesmerizing. In the menswear, the rich green suiting near the end (67)—actually, the women’s version of this was very good, too—hit the spot. Don’t be surprised if this anniversary coming together turns into an ongoing coed operation: Brother and sister enhance each other.
