Speaking with Ermanno Scervino away from the frenzy that precedes fashion shows makes it clear how deeply he loves dressing women. “They should never be victims of the clothes they wear,” he said. It’s why lightness is a defining constant in his collections season after season.
Photographed at the Grand Hotel et de Milan, his pre-fall collection was a study in déshabillé. It recalled, in spirit, Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. That said, he noted, “I believe that refinement is inseparable from contemporaneity, and I detest nostalgia.” His aim, he explained, was to be irreverent. Pairing silk slips with technical fabrics has been one of his signatures, and here he crafted the slips from cashmere which transformed them into daywear. Straight coats, Prince of Wales jackets, and Harris tweeds added a masculine contrast to double-faced silk satin, rebrodé lace boots, miniskirts, and shearling.
The color palette was warm and reassuring, with powder blue, mint green, and burgundy lending a touch of sophistication to neutrals. Material innovation continued to be a focus. What appeared to be denim was, in reality, a herringbone jacquard cashmere. Suede, paired with wool, was delicately shaded along the seams. Lambskin leather was lightened through perforations, while sheepskin was waxed, left unlined or embroidered with openwork motifs. Couture techniques applied to everyday garments ultimately conveyed the romanticism of the designer’s vision.
