For the past few seasons, the nimble fingers in the Azzaro studio have quietly tried to uphold the house’s couture tradition, with mixed results. Monday’s outing was a case in point.
The show notes spoke of time-honored “flamboyant sensuousness” and “the assertive, epicurean Amazon who draws strength in her uniqueness.” It went on to evoke “fleshy, graphic futurist flora” and “relentless tailoring.”
That’s a lot to wrap your mind around. On the runway, there was certainly plenty of flesh and flora, plus Amazonian attitude in spades. Some looks, such as the black deep-V gown with a crystal belt that opened the show, or a long, tailored coat, neatly captured the Azzaro spirit. It also was evident in some key details, like the draping on black or gold minidresses that were otherwise far too brief—the Azzaro woman, as she existed in the designer’s heyday, did not need to stoop to such tactics.
Elsewhere, menswear stole some of the limelight. There was sharp tailoring and—especially noteworthy—shiny effects, like iridescent suiting paired with a glinting oxblood trench, or charcoal gray crystals placed in such a way as to evoke the moon’s relief.
After the show, Azzaro CEO Gabriel de Linage said that the house has been taking its time before appointing a new artistic director and that an announcement was, finally, imminent. “It’s very close, and it’s an important step for the company,” he said. “All of these collections have been a great way to go back to the archives and move toward the future.” Couture, he added, would remain the backbone of the house, for both men and women.
While there is much to be said in praise of slow fashion, if recent history shows us anything, it’s that the future arrives faster than anyone might have imagined. There’s a boundary in space that astronomers call an event horizon, and for Azzaro, that horizon is now or never.
