New classics with not-so-classic textures that make one want to go in close for a feel.
Silvia Venturini Fendi was in a quiet, introspective mood this season, focusing on time spent with family. Working off that notion of domestic comforts, this particular Baguette from the house of Fendi is hand-embroidered using its “tambour” technique (essentially with a circular frame), stitching together ostrich feathers in different directions to create a fluffy, duvet-esque texture. Inviting, no?
Let’s face it: Bread is always a good comfort food option and Longchamp’s Brioche, which debuts this month, is a nod in that direction. With elegant tone-on-tone topstitching and vertical quilting, this all-occasion shoulder bag boasts distinctive pillowy contours, recalling that of the beloved French bread. Complete with a large metal buckle on its flap and a chain strap, it serves up equal parts femininity and edge.
The inspiration behind Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2021 show – staged in an unnamed desert (and one of the season’s best in our books)? A shoot Yves Saint Laurent did in Morocco in the ’60s featuring one of his most iconic designs: the chiffon gowns from his Fall/Winter 1969 couture collection that came with gold-hued carapaces, moulded from galvanic copper by the late sculptor/jeweller Claude Lalanne. Connecting the past to the present, creative director Anthony Vaccarello not only approached Lalanne’s estate to loan vintage jewellery pieces for his show, but also created this bronze bra top as a tribute, pairing it with a tuxedo jacket for a contemporary touch.
“We liked the mood of a spiritual gathering for the moonrise – when the night is lit up like day,” said Acne Studios founder/creative director Jonny Johansson of the Swedish label’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection. The materials used in it reflect that – and some more literally than others. Think jumbo-sized bags and diaphanous dresses in iridescent, tin foil-like fabrics as well as ’90s minimalism-esque tops, wrap skirts and dresses in earthy materials like hemp, washed linen and netting all dotted with mother-of-pearl ornaments.
Over at Valentino, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli had romance on his mind – one of a more “radical”, individualistic nature. Take for example how lace and similarly refined, feminine fabrics have been reinterpreted here in an earthy fashion in this Valentino Garavani Atelier 06 Lace Edition hobo bag. What looks like lace from afar is in fact a lattice of tubular leather strings knotted by hand, complete with flower applique.
A version of this article first appeared in the March 2021 No-Rules edition of FEMALE