Antonio Marras’s art practice goes hand in hand with his work as a fashion designer in a sort of circular process where one creative side nurtures the other. He recently collaborated with a historic Italian publishing company for an exhibition where he transformed 16 Zanichelli dictionaries (the Italian version of Merriam-Webster) into one-of-a-kind artworks, each dedicated to a famous woman. It was obviously a metaphorical take on the role played by culture in the definition of female identity, which in Marras’s elliptical narrative became the subtext for his Pre-Fall collection, hyperbolically called Well-Read Women Are Scary.
To add further layers of meaning, Marras worked around the idea of double identities for the collection’s lookbook, enlisting as models two professional dancer-actresses with whom he collaborated on a theatrical piece he wrote that premiered in 2017. “The shooting session was actually more like a spontaneous performance; it was truly exhilarating,” said the designer.
A rich tapestry found in a decadent old British country house was the decorative thread that held together imaginative patchworks and mash-ups made from multiple fabrications and textures. Some of them—masculine pin-striped wools, floral jacquard brocades, wool chenilles, tartans, and lacquered lace—were upcycled from previous collections. They were translated into classic masculine shapes, a tad strict and severe but inventive, or otherwise into more generous, sporty volumes. To counterbalance that restraint, elongated velvet tunics and floral-appliqué tulle dresses with plissé inserts were charming alternatives. The subtle palette of grays and beiges, gently lit by touches of lamé, had a romantic, almost pensive flair, well-suited, it would seem, to cultivated, bookish types. “I dress women who love to read,” mused Marras. Definitely.
