As a foil to all the narrative and storytelling going into fashion collections, Aspesi’s wardrobe-building clothes seem to respond to people’s mundane need to simply get dressed. They convey a discreet Milanese charm, in which attitude comes first.
“The clothes are neutral, almost anonymous. They leave space for personality,” said Lawrence Steele, who returned to Aspesi as creative director in 2020.
His curatorial approach to clothing categories — regular tailoring, functional outerwear, cozy knitwear — telegraphed a new, non-gendered and cross-generational attitude as exemplified by lookbook images portraying the designer’s real circle of friends.
They wore oversize rib knits over preppy striped shirts and roomy jeans, and double-breasted coats in a Prince of Wales check, including a particularly appealing version that combined the pattern with ruby red duchesse satin for a worn inside-out look. Duster coats were crackled and worn over turtlenecks with elongated sleeves while the signature, padded overshirt was given new flair via shirting fabrics.
Steele described each piece as an archetype of a closet’s staples. Shrunken or amplified, they were normcore, but highly desirable.
