Faced by a rainstorm, Etro brainstormed and relocated its show from the gardens of the Four Seasons to a garage space, quite Parisian, just down the road from its headquarters on Via Spartaco. One slight downside to this new spot was that due to Italy’s strict and strictly observed COVID-19 restrictions, Veronica Etro could not offer pre-sees backstage. So just like Roberto Cavalli used to (but for fun, not safety), she held an impromptu press conference on her runway before the show began.
This meant early arrivals (there were a lot of freshly landed influencers in the house) got a good look at the collection on the board before they saw it on the models. By chance, that proved fitting for a collection that was about taking a second look with new eyes. Here in Italy, along with the widespread observation of rules and regulations (at least when it comes to COVID-19), another rarely seen national trait that has emerged in 2020 is a keen appreciation for this country. For Veronica this catalyzed a collection that stayed firmly rooted at home—highly unusual for this most nomadic of fashion labels.
As those early arrivals took sneaky phone shots of the board, the designer explained: “It started during lockdown. Like everyone else I was at home, cleaning. And my mom and I restored an old record player and started listening to these old Neapolitan songs, and we were bewitched by the serenity, the timelessness, and the elegance. Then I started thinking about a trip I took in 2019 to Ischia, Capri, Naples, and Positano, and—maybe because we were so patriotic during that period—I thought, okay, let’s make the collection all about Italy.”
In another thoughtful departure, this collection contained around a third fewer looks than last season. “I wanted to avoid waste,” said Veronica. What remained was a consciously informal—“Who needs formal with no events to go to?”—selection of foulard dresses and terrycloth separates in Etro prints drawn from its 1990s archive. Lovely but understated were the rope sandals and belts in green, yellow, red, and blue that used stone-set metal hardware, while T-shirts featuring faux beach club logos were both fun and very Italian. Ashley Graham was suitably Sophia Loren–ish in an open-skirted, sweetheart-neckline gown in dark silk. However, there were also several nods across the border to Brigitte Bardot via marinière knits and the opening halter bra top and miniskirt. Sticklers for a consistent theme might have grumbled at this, but strictly speaking, Nice and the surrounding area were part of the Italian peninsula until relatively recently, so there.
Unpretentious and lovingly executed, this was a cute collection that will doubtless be highly desired on the beaches of Italy and beyond next summer. When the applause died down, the PA fired up: As you now exit a plane, we were asked to exit this show, in stages, with those closest to the door first. Only one or two especially self-important or ignorant showgoers broke those rules, because why would you?
