Erika Cavallini spent her summer in the Spanish town of Cadaqués, where Dalí and his eccentric Russian muse Gala famously built their Surrealist nest. Cavallini was so fascinated by their tempestuous love story that she turned it into the narrative behind her Spring collection. “I imagined a woman madly in love,” she explained. “She longs to reach her lover, they can’t bear to be apart, she’s almost in haste so she packs a few things in her travel canvas tote and she leaves for a summer journey of love.”
The tote in question was actually huge and made of linen striped canvas, matching an oversize shirtdress worn over pajama pants or a cotton jumpsuit of loose-fitting proportions. The collection exuded a sense of confident ease and comfort, with linear, fluid shapes enhancing a dynamic sense of movement; ankle-grazing goddess-like tunics in light crumpled wool in warm earth tones had just a slight exotic flair without being too folksy. Dusters and elongated waistcoats were soft-tailored, their structure almost weightless, while dresses in smooth silk satin were built around plays of asymmetrical pleats and draping; they had a liquid, sensuous charm, which nicely contrasted with the artisanal feel that Cavallini favors.
The designer is also a skilled potter; for the show, she molded a limited edition of vases with the Japanese raku technique. Suspended by thin leather straps, the beautiful, poetic objects were made into little satchel-like bags, which the eccentric Gala would’ve absolutely adored.
