Francesca Ruffini Stoppani’s post-pandemic mood has her longing for lightness. “I designed the F.R.S. spring collection craving a feel of ease and for finally being unencumbered by the heaviness in which we’ve been shrouded for quite some time.”
To that end, she made her artistic printed patterns look less dense and more airy, setting aside (at least for now) their elaborate symbolism. “I needed more space,” she said at a preview. “To me, my prints are like paintings and I cherish working on them. But it requires absolute dedication and focus. It can become overwhelming and utterly absorbing. I needed to feel unburdened, to give myself the freedom of being more authentic and spontaneous.”
Ruffini has a sophisticated chromatic sense, so she played with color fields as if they were abstract renditions of waves and shadows, inspired by the light dancing on the waters of Lake Como, where she lives. She kept the prints imaginative but atmospheric, “like good memories and thoughts,” she said. Overall, she let herself be guided by a more vital and instinctive approach. “It was like going back to my true self,” she said.
Broadening her range of loungewear was also a side effect of a renewed confidence to experiment. Lighter versions of her pajama sets made in cotton muslin and linen chambray, intended for a younger audience, were introduced alongside the breezy F.R.S. sundresses, caftans, and shirtdresses, which have become versatile day-to-evening options in many well-curated wardrobes.
