To celebrate the close of its fifth decade, Etro has put together a massive installation in Milan’s Palazzo del Ghiaccio under the theme Dandy Detour – a deep dive into the intimate life of the Etro Man.
The symbolic vocabulary of Etro is carried throughout the collection.
The paisley print is embroidered wing-like on the back of wool coats, on an acid orange velvet bomber, or scarred onto the back of a creamy, caramel-coloured leather jacket. Tenets of classic British tailoring are referenced on the edges of Tattersall check trenches, which are left raw and undone. Embroidery and beading are present on the border of long wool coats and inky black tuxedo jackets. Patchwork motifs are found on boxy canvas coats and soft blazers. Natural imageries like tree bark, cloudy marble or the swirling turquoise rings of the Malachite stone are introduced on blazers and turtleneck jumpers.
Materials feature translation of Navajo weaving, Persian textiles and Celtic tapestries resulting in graphic-rich textiles. Jacquard is also used heavily. Velvets are used lightly but brightly coloured and printed. Corduroy comes in a range of bright hues. Gingham shirts are fabricated with eucalyptus fibres and feel as soft to the touch as pure cotton. Canvas is used on workwear-inspired coats.
The Color palette moves across the spectrum but remains rich and vibrant: from midnight blues to royal purples, fuchsia and amethyst. Kelly green sits with lime and turquoise; subtler shades of cream and pale brown alongside vibrant canola yellow, burnt orange and rose.
Silhouettes are subtly exaggerated. Wool trousers, cut wide and billowing, sit high on the waist with substantial pleating. The shoulders of velvet and Alpaca blazers are rounded. The arms of cable knit cashmere sweaters are lengthened slightly to give a lived-in grunge-era feeling, while turtlenecks reach up to the jawline. The ribbed hemlines of cricket-inspired wool V-neck sweaters are elongated. Shirt collars are lengthened at their tips in a nod to the 70s. Longline cardigans in rich wool feature elaborate jacquard designs or are intricately embellished with looping swirls of leather twine. Square-cut jackets that hit at the hip in richly patterned jacquard, worn-in leather, or embroidered wool.
Socks are colourful and perfectly match outfits. Footwear includes worn-in leather work boots, embroidered corduroy loafers and calfskin desert boots with wide buckles. Accessories are subtle: rather than ties, metal bolts are threaded through shirt collars to keep them closed. Stones – like marble and malachite – adorn the lapels of blazers and coats.
