Meeting Marco De Vincenzo on the eve of his first anniversary at Etro inevitably called for a quick assessment of his journey so far.
“We’ve done so many things, it was a first year of tests and many debuts,” he said on the set of shooting the look book at the brand’s Milan headquarters. He referred to the different collections he oversees at the company — women’s, men’s and home — which offer the seasoned talent an opportunity of cross-pollination among different categories. “I like to work on all of them at the same time, it makes everything more fluid,” confirmed De Vincenzo.
Another, not-so-surprising aspect he confronted was the fast pace of his work, as he faced the high frequency of fashion cycles. “I was used to this because I experienced it with my own brand, but I’ve realized that nothing has changed ever since….In this, fashion never changes: to be more contemporary, it should decelerate a little,” he observed.
Yet for De Vincenzo — as for any talent stepping into the creative direction of a company he didn’t establish — the main challenge was striking the right balance between Etro’s codes and his own aesthetic. To this end, the designer defined the resort collection as a synthesis of the two.
Rather than blended in each look, here the two sides were more expressed by juxtaposition. Feminine knit dresses with plunging V-necklines and graphic color block motifs on the skirt: very De Vincenzo. Tapestry-like patterns on denim separates, shirts and asymmetric frocks: definitely Etro.
Oversize cardigans, sweaters and roomy pants in faded color stripes evoked the rainbow patterns that made De Vincenzo’s namesake brand recognizable, while rich floral motifs blooming on blazer jackets, jeans, a knitted column frock and short polo dress pointed to Etro’s visual opulence.
The real fil rouge remains the simplification of silhouettes and easy readability of looks De Vincenzo has committed to since the beginning of his tenure. In a quest for further ease, he is now increasingly pivoting to more relaxed fits through fabrications, as well. Cue printed boho maxi dresses in airy cotton muslin and fluid jersey frocks enhancing the body without constraints, which were also covered in tonal patterns for a more subdued take on Etro’s world.
Other easy-to-approach additions ranged from padded cotton shirts doubling as outerwear to trenchcoats subtly outlined with printed detailing. Striped shirts and checkered suits expressed the more mannish language that is part of Etro’s heritage.
“I found out that this brand is so rich in codes, it has many more than more established labels,” De Vincenzo said. The collection was indeed bursting with ideas and concepts, perhaps a few too many, which resulted in some appealing single looks but at the cost of an overall cohesiveness.
