Kiton recreated an Italian, Renaissance-style garden at its sprawling headquarters in Milan’s Via Pontaccio, meant to reflect a restart for the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic, said chief executive officer Antonio De Matteis. A restart that has already begun for Kiton, said the executive, upbeat about the performance of the brand, reporting a 30 percent increase in business in the past five months compared with 2020, and in line with 2019.
In sync with this newfound normality, Kiton revisited evening classics, telegraphing a renewed desire for formal occasions. Deconstructed gray and blue suits or tuxedos in pure linen or silk were “traditional yet innovative. With the pandemic we’ve gotten more used to being comfortable and we don’t want to lose that privilege but we still want to be elegant and chic,” De Matteis said.
Lightness was key and Kiton removed all layers, offering weightless constructions, perfectly tailored — in line with its expertise. There were suits, but more essential and feather-light. “The boundaries between formal and informal have disappeared,” De Matteis said.
Double-breasted jackets in washed silk, a precious fabric reissued from the 30-year-old archives, weighed barely more than a shirt, while formal pants had drawstrings or were elasticized at the waist. There were light knits and polo shirts in cashmere and silk jersey, sometimes with hand-painted details, as well as blousons inspired by sailing and golf. Also precious was the double-faced cashmere jacket doubled with nylon or linen and suede.
This relaxed attitude was also reflected by the Bourette silk single-breasted jacket or with a stand-up collar as well as by the melange cashmere jersey outerwear. The color palette was natural and soft, with no strong colors, noted De Matteis, ranging from different hues of gray, white and blue to earth tones.
The company also extended its wardrobe to beach wear through archival tie prints decorating a series of swim trunks, shorts and light bombers.
Now in its sixth season, Kiton’s younger and more experimental line KNT, designed by twins Mariano and Walter De Matteis, is steadily expanding and for spring presented a more comprehensive collection.
KNT, the acronym for Kiton New Textures, presented a blazer that becomes one with the bomber jacket and a hoodie, both with a slim fit. The first is reminiscent of a stand-up collar jacket, which is replaced by the bomber knitted detail, while the other is a fusion of tailoring details and the characteristics of the hoodie.
Pants appeared formal but came with casual drawstrings and elasticated waists.
Orange was the color of the season, and KNT introduced a new logo, a graphic inspired by the three-letter name, and also recalling the twisting threads typical of the brand’s workmanship.
KNT was presented together with a contemporary art exhibition of works by Nicola Evangelisti.
