Who says that the Milanese are conservative and bourgeois? Veronica Etro doesn’t buy into that narrative. “My father Gimmo founded the house of Etro in 1968, so we as a company were born at a time of barricades and youth revolution,” she said at a showroom appointment. “As much as we value tradition, there’s a rebellious spirit which runs in our family, a flair for adventure, open-mindedness, and eccentricity.” It’s a mindset she’s been making good use of lately, steering the label on a stronger, younger course. Less Lady of the Canyon and more radical rock chick, perhaps? “I didn’t want to be too romantic—at least for this collection!” she said.
It’s to Etro’s credit that she’s been the driving force behind a rather unexpected (and extremely successful) collaboration with the Italian rock band Måneskin, whose fearless outfits caused quite a stir at the Sanremo Music Festival in March. On a roll to international stardom, the band recently scooped up the first prize at Eurovision Song Contest 2021. To perform their hit “Zitti e Buoni” (which loosely translates as “Shut Up and Be Quiet”) Måneskin wore provocative skintight numbers in laminated, platinum-studded, and cross-stitched bordeaux leather concocted by Veronica with her brother Kean. The track cracked the Spotify Global Top 200 Chart and was listed #9 in May. Veronica couldn’t have been prouder: “I’ve been really galvanized by working with talents with such a gutsy, no-holds-barred mindset, ready to take any risk with absolute aplomb,” she said. “It gave me the courage to challenge my own limits.”
It’s not only members of Måneskin who will find pieces to like in the resort collection. Special stand-alone items like intarsia-ed ponchos, embellished waistcoats, richly embroidered miniskirts, and fringed blanket skirts were combined with easy wardrobe staples rendered à la Etro. Less bohemian and more concise than usual, the everyday offer comprised a series of gender-fluid shirts, tunics, oversized blazers, and pajama suits that emphasize the masculine/feminine synergy and code-swapping going on between the Etro siblings. Paisley patterns got a punk-ish treatment with skulls, snakes, and safety pins; prints were bolder and used in patches on nylon anoraks and quilted indigo denim sets; and skintight black leather pants and zippered jackets were intended as a nod to biker subcultures.
“After celebrating Etro’s 50th birthday in 2018 I wanted to turn the page,” said Veronica. “We’re building a new following of young customers who are asking for a stronger twist on our traditional style. The pandemic has taught us to not be afraid, to enjoy taking risks and to embrace change. It isn’t time to hold on to our comfort zone.”
