Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were thinking deeply about Africa when they were designing for Spring, accomplishing a new stage of a very personal narrative journey. Looking towards a place both real and stylised they leave Rome, the centre and horizon of their own aesthetic universe, behind them, and always preserving their invaluable expertise of métissage and savoir-faire, they land in wild, tribal Africa. ‘We probably feel that the greatest privilege in doing our work is that fashion can give a message,’ said Chiuri. ‘We think every person coming here is an individual, and we can show that we can improve ourselves by understanding other cultures.’ Piccioli adds, ‘The message is tolerance. And the beauty that comes out of cross-cultural expression.’
The fusion between Italian and African traditions resulted in Roman sandals with carved ebony heels, tiny beaded Masai-derived patterns and bold peacock feather trims. Cuts have been reduced to a minimum, as if the garments were created by spontaneous and immediate gestures, and the urge of embellishment is an expression of presence as long tunics are held at the neck by necklaces and ornaments. Natural shades of black, ivory, ebony, beige, dark red and forest green make up the colour palette, while prints are concentrated on long dresses with a simple ancestral taste. The mask, traditionally used as a form of disguise has been readapted as an expression of a symbolic ego, and is a recurring motif that appears in multiple patterns on bags, shoes and jewellery. A collaboration with the artist Alessandro Gaggio has led to the creation of several high jewellery pieces in white terracotta with motifs that merge nature and human artistry.
The values of the Maison have always been refinement, individuality and timeless elegance, which have been reread from a new angle for this collection.
