Gabriele Colangelo’s fall collection was loosely inspired by American artist Sheila Hicks’s oeuvre; her medium is yarns, woven and knotted into magnificent, tactile work of arts. The 85-year-old genius is currently being celebrated in a group show at Gagosian Gallery in Paris, titled “Blanc sur Blanc,” running through March 7. It’s a fortuitous coincidence for Colangelo. Craft is definitely having a moment, and rightfully so. Works that feel intimate and human are relevant today, speaking to the desire for a more considerate, thoughtful way of living and thinking.
Colangelo’s fashion practice has always been rooted in the respect of craft and a love of textures and fabrics; he often has them designed and made through imaginative techniques. His minimalist shapes are substantiated by elaborate work on surfaces; yarns are often a medium to achieve abstract pictorial effects, marrying technology and handcraft.
This was the creative path he followed for fall; on one hand he experimented on handcrafted techniques (wool woven by hand, for example); on the other he explored cutting-edge technology. Printed leather was laser-cut, then thinly sliced into vertical micro stripes; patterns looked distorted and three-dimensional, like a malleable curtain giving the illusion of a fringe when in movement, introducing a certain sensuousness into Colangelo’s restrained aesthetic. “I had a feel for a less rigorous approach,” he explained, “and more sensuality.” He hinted at the current trend for softness with his customary discretion—you won’t find flash chez Colangelo. Bare arms were exposed from the slitted sleeves of a chunky ribbed sweaterdress; nude skin was subtly visible through cuts on the shoulders of a tailored blazer. Interesting color combinations—mint green with pale chocolate, warm burgundy with icy porcelain blue—smoothed his usual strictness and felt fresh and gentle. “Gentleness is one of my favorite words,” said Colangelo. If only more people (and designers) shared his predilection.
