Kean Etro delights in layering multiple references with the ease that comes not only from experience but from true cultural curiosity. His love of literature and poetry are just some of his many interests, and this season, instead of invitations, he had actors phone each of the show’s hundreds of guests to recite a dedicated poem to each one.
It was a gesture of exquisite sensitivity, marking his last solo collection for Etro and his elegant way of passing the baton to Marco De Vincenzo, who will take the lead as creative director from September. De Vincenzo was in the audience today, applauding a collection that was quintessentially Kean in its celebration of poetic eclecticism. “Poetry and utopia go hand in hand,” he said backstage before the show. “In its etymology, poetry simply means making, composing. I wanted to give value to the idea of creating, which shouldn’t be separated from utopia.” Quoting Oscar Wilde, he added “there’s no progress in society without utopia.”
Yet there wasn’t much utopia in the breezy sensuality of the collection; rather a plausible idea of gentle masculinity filtered through Kean’s cultivated, sentimental eye. Following circadian rhythms, looks were presented in circular chromatic cadence, from morning whites through sun-at-the-zenith brights to velvety darks dotted with starry figments. Archetypal in shape—kimonos, kaftans, djellabas, wrap jackets closed by obis—it was elevated by what the designer called “a florilegium,” that is a plethora of sparse floral images delicately overprinted with the number 432 Hertz. “It’s the number indicating the frequency of the universe’s good vibration,” said Kean. “It’s the frequency of beauty. It’s like when you charge crystals or bio-dynamic particles with energy—I’ve used it to somehow energize the garments.”
The energy-charging ritual may have worked: there was a lively feeling to the collection that propelled it forward, despite the stifling heatwave which made the air feel unnaturally still. Billowy see-through chiffon kaftans and elongated shirts and kimonos in liquid satin were worn open to reveal nude skin, as well as boxing shorts exposing bare legs. The body was perceived through mesh textures, broderie Anglaise inserts, and impalpable silks and linens. The breezy, cultivated Bohemian feel which is the Etro siblings’ signature looked vital and delicate in equal measure. Kean and Veronica took the bow together at the end of the show, an impromptu gesture of arrivederci cheered by the audience with affection.
