photos courtesy of C&M Media
The narrative and emotional power of geometry is underestimated. As any other rigorous discipline, instead, geometry is full of feelings and nuances, as Edwin A. Abbott demonstrated a long ago in Flatland – A Romance of Many Dimensions. This very geometric, unabashedly graphic Missoni collection is a story of feminine strength, empowerment and self-awareness, told in straight lines, bold clean volumes, skin flashing throughout and the womanly taste for self-decoration – using jewelry to add further layers to the story. The freewheeling Missoni spirit is still there, but it marches to a beat of horizontal, diagonal and vertical stripes that shift, move, swing, wrap on and around the body, leaving no way to froth and frivolity – up to a point. The glittering of metal adds sparkle to a dense palette of earthy and burnt tones lit with dashes of red and turquoise. Outerwear is bold and protective; blouson-cardigans have kimono closures and cropped tailored jackets in boxy shapes are worn with big trousers tucked into boots. Underneath, dresses and leggings cling to the body or reveal it, suggesting body-consciousness as just another facet of feminine power. Even the new bags with narrow scarves as straps have an assertive geometric presence. After dark, patterns melt and everything gets soft. Menswear is just as bold in shape, sensual, and equally glittery. The neatness of the design lets geometry explode in a frenzy of patchwork, swarming everywhere in every size, from micro to macro. A Missoni signature through and through, patchwork is Missoni-ism elevated to an nth: a way to reaffirm optimism in these turbulent times. Letting geometry take the lead in the most playful and graphic of ways, patchwork allows for endless kaleidoscopic variations. As such, it is luxuriously narrative, which finally demonstrates the theorem: the emotion power of geometry is potent. A warm thank you to Cameranebbia for their contribution to the setting of the show.