When Antonio Marras rolled up at La Conchiglia—a popular local weekend picnic and swim spot close to his Sardinian base of Alghero—the plan was clear: shoot the collection cleanly, focusing on the line and surface of the clothes against a backdrop of model, shimmering sun, glittering sea, and vibrant pine forest.
Marras, though, is a compulsive collagist, so the richness of La Conchiglia’s local life proved irresistible. Hence the Martin Parr-ish cameos from courtly Picassos (looks 1, 25), parasol-shelterers (13), barefoot promenaders (39), and callow youth (42, 43). All of these human accessories (plus Babette the hound) added extra texture to the imagery of a collection that was, naturally, intensely textured to start with.
Hand-embroidered suiting; floral jacquard Jackie O. dresses and separates; upcycled bouclé jackets, some backless, that were overlaid with more upcycled Marras deadstock; kimono style jackets made from gorgeous scraps of deadstock lining over colorblocked silks; lace-cut viscose beach-sweepers; intricately imperfect organza fluff skirts—the pieces on offer were as various as La Conchiglia’s locals, yet equally distinctly of their place. Other upcycled delights included menswear jackets slashed at the armpit and overlaid with patched pattern, and similarly patched olive military pants. There was a sophisticatedly co-ordinated denim capsule—from head pieces to quirk-enstocks, via jean and jacket—patterned with pink floral that would make the perfect subject for a Sardinian Slim Aarons.
Unseen here, but lurking on Marras’s rail in his wonderful Milan studio was a new sequence of Marras-inated revived deadstock Aloha shirting—ideal for any gender— that were marvels of controlled complication and should be hitting his e-store soon. By the time I rolled out of the Milan outpost of the Marras universe the designer and his crew were crooning Giuni Russo’s cheesy 1980s Italo-banger “Alghero,” and I was left dazedly convinced that a Marras show on his home turf is a fashion event that must surely happen. We all deserve a weekend at La Conchiglia.
