Synonymous with bohemian style, the Italian house is a master printmaker, and has emerged as the go-to label for ultra-wearable luxury.
Launched as a textile house in 1968, the swirling paisleys and intricate floral prints have become something of a leitmotif for the family run Italian label. Making ultra-desirable clothes that people want to live in, Veronica and her three brothers, Jacopo, Kean and Ippolito grew up immersed in an archetypal Italian fashion dynasty, the colourful world of Etro.
Veronica joined in 1998 after studying at London’s Central Saint Martins, presenting her first collection as womenswear creative director in 2000. The key to success for this family business has clearly been having an ironclad brand signature, that customers can really buy into, and with Veronica being at the helm of design, she has carefully set about infusing the label’s rich heritage with a modern bohemian sensibility. Fine tuning its hallmarks, she has slowly, surely, and deliberately transformed the textile brand into not just a go-to for artisanal staples, but a fashion-forward destination for oh-so-desirable dresses which combine a fusion of paisley, diaphanous fabrics, intricate detailing and luxe layering with eclectic spirit.
The driving force behind fashion house’s womenswear, Veronica Etro moves seamlessly between tradition and innovation, creating cool clothes that are perfect for the ‘cosmopolitan globetrotter’. Here we talk to the designer about what is key to the perfect print, fusing heritage and modernity, and how this 50-year-old label continues to create the most-wanted pieces of the season, every season.
Who is the Etro woman?
The Etro woman is individualistic, strong, and independent, together with being exotic, eclectic, ironic and she always smiles. She likes to play with clothes, but she does not take them too seriously. She is not a fashion victim. For her, clothing is a creative expression, and there is a sense of freedom when she gets dressed. She follows her whims and enjoys the fantasy, and exoticism that fashion can bring. I design for a woman who is bold and is not afraid of colour, or a touch of eclecticism. She loves art, culture and she loves to travel like a new sort of globetrotter.
Can you tell us about the new AW17 collection, and what it embodies? What was the inspiration behind it?
The collection is a tribute to our heritage, embodying our tradition and different cultures, around an air of spirituality, energy, and positivity. Think about a congregation of free spirits, a fearless group of exploring women, who are bright, feisty, active, and energised, and these women congregate, celebrate, and share freely as in an altitude festival. Whether on a remote mountain tap pensive retreat, or a bustling city street, the mood is about a colour explosion and a total pattern collision. A mix of prints where mandalas, tie prints, and tree of life florals, are refracted into kaleidoscopes of new patterns, to add to the look a new exoticism. It’s an invite to join the Etro Paisley Tribe, a fearless group of exploring women.
How has the Paisley print changed over the years, yet remained powerful?
The Paisley design and patterns in general are central to Etro’s past, present and future. Every season, we take a new journey with the print. Though we have invented thousands of prints, the paisley is by far the most famous and well known of our family’s patterns, and is our signature pattern. The noble roots of this sinuous, stylised palm frond can be traced back thousands of years to Mesopotamia. Since then, the design has been used on ancient Indian shawls, on Celtic embroideries and on 19th century Parisian shawls. My father began using the pattern and it quickly become the symbol of the Etro brand. Its journey, over the course of thousands of years, is very inspirational to me. I love symbols that are rich in history.
Tell us about how you reinvent your signatures every season, whilst keeping things fresh?
Every season we develop and reinvent the classic paisley design in new ways. Either way, the design remains very powerful. The interesting thing about the paisley design is that it is unisex, it fits both men and women. What I like about it is that it has something cool and pop, think David Bowie, Janis Joplin and the Beatles wearing it, think about 1968 the revolution year, by the way the Etro brand was founded in 1968, so next year we will celebrate our 50th anniversary!
To you, what makes a timeless print?
At the heart of the brand is our family’s tradition with high-end fabrics and highly researched patterns. We always try to keep a balance between what feels new and fashionable, with what is traditionally relevant. We are not interested in creating trendy fashion collections but only timeless clothes. We want to be experimental but grounded, contemporary, but timeless. It is a finely tuned balance but it is what makes our company unique. It signifies timeless products rooted in tradition. We define these values as ‘New Tradition’, this means that I am always trying to balance the heritage of the brand with a modern touch. I think it is essential to get to the root of who you are and where you come from, but then to move into a new playground with it. I am always looking for ways of blending artisan know-how with creative experimentation, and what I am interested in is to work on heritage and the DNA of the brand to develop further its boundaries without really breaking with the past but looking to the future. Making an evolution and not a revolution!
Was working in the fashion industry always a career path that you wanted to take?
Creativity and art, in general fascinate me, and I always wanted to do something strictly creative. I grew up surrounded by beauty, art, and antiques, and this has developed and led my curiosity and approach. I always loved to be manual and creative and I really love my work because it is very versatile and different every day. Travel, art, print and photography are a sort of fil rouge in my personal and professional path, and in this sense, I like to work in fashion, because it goes beyond the dress, and is more about an artistic approach.
Your brand is a family-run fashion house. Why is this important to your business? What is the secret to your family’s success? Can you describe the process between you and your three siblings?
We are a very tight family and we share a common appreciation of our heritage, respect for our history and love for what our father started. Everyone has their own individual taste, but we have a very similar philosophy of the brand and what it stands for. We all share the same goals and the same vision. We are also able to make very quick decisions without getting bogged down in bureaucracy. I think what is key to our success is that we each have clearly defined roles inside the company and we respect one another. Each of us is responsible for a different aspect and we allow one another the freedom to make decisions. We work together in the same space and in the same atmosphere comparing our vision and ideas, and we have fun with what we do!
How would you describe your own personal style?
My everyday life style is very colourful, eclectic, and comfortable. I have to be very ‘casual’ to start the day with my kids, then go to office where I am constantly moving up and down the stairs to follow all the work activities. I love to play with a touch of colour using a printed scarf or a printed silk shirt, or an ethnic necklace and pendant earrings. Clothes are our second skin, and I think it is very important that you can feel good, and able to personalise and play with your look, to have fun and to be happy!
What can we look forward to seeing next as your brand, and prints continue to evolve?
Every season we develop and reinvent the classic paisley design in new ways. It’s always stimulating to deal with such a decorative pattern as you can easily blend it with more geometrical designs, mix with flowers, stripes and polka dots or rework it with different techniques. Sometimes I look at it through a very classic lens and sometimes I like to completely revolutionise it. Either way, the design remains very powerful.
By Eliza Scarborough
