As at other family-owned Italian fashion houses, it’s a time of renewal and evolution for Etro. A new investor (LVMH-backed private equity giant L Catterton) has poured fresh resources into the company’s business operations, amping up expansion plans and production capabilities. On the creative side, Veronica Etro and brother Kean seem to be energized by the change, working together on updating collections with a younger, gender fluid flavor—a move which has recently led to artistic collaborations with unconventional talents, like the Italian rock band Måneskin and British designer Harris Reed.
Veronica Etro’s work is focused now more than ever on taking her family’s legacy a step further, while keeping its style fundamentals firmly at the core of her vision. “It’s about constantly elaborating and expanding our lexicon of wanderlust and bohemia with newness and a fresh ésprit,” she said at a pre-fall appointment. “I like to be challenged.”
Etro’s aesthetic has always relied on the impact of its charming prints, free-spirited yet sophisticated. To boost their visual appeal here, Veronica gave them a lighter spin, making the motifs more rarefied and luminous, “almost if they were floating on a white background,” she explained. The extensive use of white in the collection was evocative of wintry landscapes. The offering was rich in protective, cozy layering pieces. Oversized intarsia’d and crocheted knitwear was proposed in lieu of outerwear; ponchos, capes and blankets featured in abundance; and piuminos were knitted and textural, quilted with pretty floral-printed linings.
Being a self-described hippie, Veronica remains partial to the flowy dresses which have become one of the label’s signatures. For pre-fall, she gave them a slightly dramatic twist (a black pleated-chiffon number with printed panels and ruched trimming was particularly attractive) and presented them alongside new versions of classic Etro staples. Languid loungewear-inspired robes, loose-fitting pajama suits, chic caftan dresses, and kimono jackets were offered in sumptuous printed velvet or elaborate jacquards with a silver sheen. Their relaxed, versatile look is likely to appeal to the progressive audiences Etro has been courting.
