The intention of Max Schiller’s latest Eytys collection is as clear as the sparkling waters of the Italian Riviera that inspired it. The designer relied not on White Lotus, however, but drew on his personal experiences. He’s spent a lot of time in Naples and on Capri where friends have been artist-intellectuals in residence at Villa San Michele, which was built by the Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe, and later donated to his native land.
The new collection was created during the dark Scandi winter when Schiller was having Swede dreams of the Mediterranean. That’s worth noting because this is, essentially, a home-and-away collection. The sun-lit lookbook images were shot not in Italy but in Stockholm on friends of Eytys. (Yes, that’s Frida Gutsavsson taking a break from acting to strike a pose, and Edvin Endre from The Playlist.)
The straightforward nature of the photographs really drives home the USP of the brand, which grew from footwear into fashion. The focus is on denim, in a context of what to wear with it. There are luxe leather motos and racing jackets with streamer-strung hardware, and a pleated mini in brown suede that seems to borrow from the garb of gladiators. Denim is offered in valentine red as well as light washes. Artfully distressing on jean jackets creates a deep fringe that updates a classic, while a more delicate fringe is used on some of the best bra tops around. Building on the denim story, indigo dye is used on lace, for men and women.
The Italian theme surfaced in printed tees that look as if they have been sun-bleached and a striped shirt inspired by a beach umbrella, not to mention straw sandals and ballet flat-driving shoe slip-ons to wear to a seaside bar. This ease is carried over into draped skirts and generously cut khakis, shown low on the hip so that bikini straps can peek up over the waistband with a saucy Y2K wink.
