FASHION LOVE LETTER TO ITALY
Amore your style, wit, glamour and color
The world is in crisis due to Coronavirus, and “business as usual” has almost completely ground to a halt. Italy has recently taken the brunt of this attack, and the situation there grows more dire with each passing day. Stores are shuttered, production has halted, and designers are scrambling to adjust to a completely new fashion landscape. So, rather than simply increase reporting on the doom & gloom, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to the Italian designers and fashion houses that have given us some of the most important fashion moments through the years. Thank you for inspiring us. Thank you for your vision. Thank you for your art.
GUCCI
Ever since Gucci’s founding in Florence in 1921, the storied fashion house has grown into one of the biggest and most important fashion brands in the world. Although Gucci is known for scores of iconic house codes, fashionistas know it’s a leather house, meaning the quality and variety of Gucci’s leather is simply unmatched. We can thank Gucci for countless closet staples, including the Flora scarf (designed exclusively for Grace Kelly in 1966), the Jackie bag, and perhaps most ubiquitous – the horsebit loafer. This classic unisex shoe was introduced in 1953 and has become the go-to loafer for both men & women, whether at work or on the street.
Gucci, thank you for your storied history. Thank you for being a house steeped in tradition. Thank you for never shying away from being provocative.
PRADA
At first glance, Prada can be seen as playful and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and that’s not entirely wrong. What’s more important, though, is the message designer Miuccia Prada wants to send down the runway along with the clothes. Prada has always attached strong commentary to her shows, and with this commentary comes more of a sense of order to the otherwise crazy array of colors and silhouettes. We have Prada to thank for the socks-with-heels trend, and speaking of heels, the famous flame shoe caught on like wildfire (see what I did there). Prada has always been a house we’ve looked to for new takes on classic ideas, and we’re staying tuned for their next message.
Prada, thank you for being fiercely independent. Thank you for your strong social commentary. Thank you for fearlessly breaking off from the herd.
VALENTINO
When we think of the word “romance” in fashion, we think of Valentino, a house that has always conjured images of old Hollywood glamour. The house’s founder, Valentino Garavani, made his international debut in 1962, and ever since, fashion’s glitterati elite have tapped Valentino to craft jaw-dropping creations that never skimp on the drama. Rarely does a specific color ever become attached to a fashion house, but Valentino achieved just that with his beloved specific red hue, now commonly known as “Valentino red.”
Valentino, thank you for making us feel absolutely beautiful. Thank you for your steadfast devotion to couture. Thank you for elevating fashion.
MOSCHINO
When you want luxury pieces, but you still want to have a lot of fun, you go to Moschino. The iconic biker bag and teddy bear logo are instantly recognizable, and each season, Moschino manages to take everyday objects like washing machines, paint cans, and lighters and turn them into the must-have collectible handbags of the moment. Current creative director Jeremy Scott has put his own stamp on the house with super-specific collection themes, like Barbie, Halloween, and Picasso. Irreverent, humorous, and trailblazing, Moschino always puts a smile on our faces – something we need now more than ever.
Moschino, thank you for your sense of humor. Thank you for being a brand for ages 4 to 94. Thank you for letting us have fun and play.
MISSONI
Knitwear mecca Missoni was founded in 1953 by Octavio and Rosita Missoni. Their signature zig-zag and kaleidoscope prints on everything from sweaters to scarves ushered in a revolution for knitwear. After their first runway show in 1966, Missoni enjoyed “golden years” success throughout the 1970s, and the house prints eventually cemented themselves as status symbols. The former First Lady herself, Michelle Obama, wore a Missoni creation in 2015, further cementing Missoni’s high-quality status. Ever wonder where the phrase “the put-together look” comes from? Vogue created it for Missoni.
Missoni, thank you for elevating a neglected area of fashion. Thank you for your love of tones and not just color. Thank you for being bold.
VERSACE
The first fashion house that comes to mind for many when it comes to sex appeal, Versace literally changed fashion. Gianni Versace didn’t just have a game-changing moment, which plenty of designers and fashion houses have, he redefined what fashion meant. He thrust his designs into the middle of a new celebrity universe, which in turn put it smack dab in the middle of pop culture. Elizabeth Hurley hurled the brand into the stratosphere when she stepped onto the red carpet in that now-iconic safety pin dress. We can always count on Versace to turn everything up – the color saturation, the patterns, and literally the volume (his 1991 runway show with the models lip-syncing George Michael’s “Freedom” was a viral moment before that was even a concept). Versace never played by the classic sartorial rules, yet the taste level, although raucous, was (and is) still decidedly haute.
Versace, thank you for making us feel sexy. Thank you for being loud. Thank you for always eschewing fashion snobbery.
Fashion is bigger than we think. It’s not just about designing clothes and looking good. It’s the art of understanding people based on what they’re interested in wearing and what they buy. Fashion also creates a sense of hope, in that we hope this new blazer will help rock that interview, we hope this new outfit will help us get lucky tonight, etc. People make choices about their clothes based on how they’re designed, and the choosing process for everything from cars to cell phones is no different. We simply want to thank those in fashion who are helping us make those decisions, and especially to those in Italy who have been hit particularly hard by this recent pandemic.
Thank you.
