“Thinking of doing a black look here [at Etro] is like making a punk statement,” designer Marco De Vincenzo said with a smile on the set of the brand’s pre-fall 2024 collection shooting. “But in a way, for me look 25 is the Etro-est of them all,” he added pointing to one of the photographs lined up in front of him.
At the end of his fingertip, a model was wrapped in one of the brand’s tapestry-like textiles in an unusually quiet, bicolor version with a see-through pencil skirt with floral motifs peeking underneath. It indeed made for one of the dark looks aimed at offering a new take on the brand’s eclectic world, but also best expressed the work De Vincenzo is carrying on at the historic Italian house.
Now more than a year into his role as creative director, the seasoned talent is exalting Etro’s textile legacy of rich patterns and cozy textures via simplified silhouettes and a more streamlined approach. By limiting its signature layering to two to three pieces per look, he’s grounding the brand’s boho ethos and sense of wanderlust in more pragmatic outfits.
To this end, he addressed the different store deliveries a pre-collection is meant to target via versatile items and playing with fabrications in different weights. These ranged from reversible coats to silk minidresses, from bulky boucle sets to long, floral-print dresses, from chunky knit cardigans and groovy pants to leather separates and relaxed tailoring.
A series of lightweight ruffled frocks and crepe skirts juxtaposing a printed part with solid colors were smartly added as eveningwear options, and injected a dash of romance and delicacy in the lineup.
Yet body-hugging dresses in velvet jersey with maxi paisley motifs were the real winners. In all their simplicity, they epitomized De Vincenzo’s intention of balancing his own point of view with Etro’s codes and the pursuit of what he dubbed “maximalist minimalism.”
