The focused collection creative director Walter Chiapponi designed for resort was an ode to the essential.
Like a sculptor, Chiapponi operates by subtraction: season after season, he chisels wardrobe staples to uncover their purest form, as the destination of his creative journey is the origin of garments’ construction. As he simplifies silhouettes and strips them down of all embellishments — save for those that can have a functional purpose — volumes and textures get the limelight, as this collection further proved.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how things are made and it’s easy to exalt this aspect in this company,” said Chiapponi, referencing Tod’s craftsmanship.
Needless to say, leather took center stage in this urban-chic collection, as seen in outerwear pieces ranging from a biker jacket in cropped proportions to a trench with a glossy finish that offered an elevated take on a casual raincoat. Baggy pants, oversize vests, midi skirts and a dress cinched by a drawstring were also crafted from supple leather and rendered in neutral earth tones.
While these pieces made for straightforward wardrobe builders, they lacked a hint of unpredictability that Chiapponi instilled in a bomber jacket, instead. Its puffy volume was emphasized by elastic bands worked in a chevron pattern, which best embodied Chiappini’s interpretation of decoration. Another version was quilted for a geometric 3D appearance, while classic tailoring was spiced up with little details, such as the built-in lapel seen on a collarless blazer jacket.
Accessories added to the essential approach, with the T logo introduced on bags only to serve as a buckle. Footwear ranged from mannish loafers to lady-like mid-heel styles and flat slingbacks, that further enhanced the collection’s bourgeois image and added to Chiapponi’s pragmatic take on luxury.
“After all these years of flamboyance, I think overall fashion is finally pivoting toward the direction of essence, quality and culture — things we Italians are famous for,” he concluded.
Source: WWD