His native Sardinia is usually at the heart of Antonio Marras’s layered storytelling, but this time he took a metaphorical trip to Harlem. He looked at the work of the influential African American painter William H. Johnson, active during the ’30s and ’40s, and of photographer Gordon Parks, who was prominent in documentary photojournalism from the ’40s through the ’70s. Their imagery sparked the narrative background for Marras’s Resort collection, a fictional tale of two girlfriends working as tailors in Harlem, patching together an extravagant wardrobe using whatever was on hand.
The designer played with blown-up volumes, bright colors, and the patchwork techniques he favors, whipping up imaginative pieces that often exude the lived-in flair that suits his sentimental approach. Sequined arabesques and Gobelin-inspired brocades decorated knits, abstract florals were printed on corsets bonded on poplin shirts, and sweaters featuring geometric motifs were split open and stitched onto tiered tulle dresses. Lace was lacquered and paired with damask, Prince of Wales checkered wool was splattered with black ink drops, and humongous peonies bloomed improbably on Klein-blue velvet. The quirky mash-up coalesced rather spiritedly via a kaleidoscopic color-block palette of yellow, turquoise, pink, periwinkle, and Tiffany green.
Such imaginative ebullience was counterbalanced by more sedate tailored pieces: Shapely cut suits with batwing jackets had a seductive vintage ’40s flair; little coats were streamlined and, by Marras’s standards, rather unfussy; sequined pencil skirts paired with matching polo shirts had a neat silhouette. Yet the collection’s sweetest note was the figurines inspired by William H. Johnson’s drawing. Patched or knitted on oversize sweaters and tees, they were a loving homage to a major artist, whose work celebrated African American culture.
