MILAN — Pia Zanardi is in the mood for summer.
The Yali founder is ready to bring a fresh breeze of youthfulness and carefree vibes to Florence, where she is set to mark her Pitti Uomo debut with a presentation themed “Pool House.”
Showcased in the central pavilion of the Fortezza da Basso location, the Yali spring 2025 collection is expected to be displayed among striped lounge chairs, rattan lamp shades, pastel curtains and branded towels intended to evoke the leisurely lifestyle in which the label is rooted and transport visitors to a summer resort in the Florentine countryside, which inspired the textures and hues in the lineup.
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The collection will offer more than the hip brand’s signature vests, which rose as a wardrobe staple telegraphing easy coolness among “It” girls and boys worldwide. Although coed, Zanardi will primarily spotlight the menswear proposition in new shapes and fabrications that enrich the sophisticated Yali world rich in vivid colors and unfussy pieces.
“The opportunity to showcase at Pitti challenged me to shift my vision,” Zanardi said. “I always design with the idea in mind of girls who like men’s clothing and my pieces are created to be practical for any task, occasion and time: to go to work, to dance, to go food shopping, to adventure, to travel, to fall in love. This season I thought about boys, too.
“I have always been inspired by how the men in my family dress, and I treasure my grandfather’s and father’s shirts and sweaters,” she added. “The quality of those garments is rare today, and I strive to incorporate that level of craftsmanship into each of my collections.”
The brand typically unveils its collections during women’s Milan Fashion Week in a coed presentation format. This time around, to further mark its Pitti Uomo attendance, the label will also stage an intimate dinner at the Il Salviatino hotel in partnership with indie publication, The Travel Almanac, on June 12.
“It’s the first time we are having a presence at Pitti Uomo. The brand started from a pure act of creativity, there was no commercial strategy at the beginning. I’m expecting to learn more about the industry, have a better business understanding and establish a strong relationship with such a prestigious institution as Pitti,” Zanardi said about what she would like to bring home from her first Florentine experience.
Novelties in the collection will include a new hooded bomber jacket style and fun coordinated looks crafted from terry cloth, all accessorized with necklaces with beads and shells as well as suede pouches inspired by vintage silver pillboxes.
Zanardi said the bomber design was a natural evolution of the Yali weekend blazer, mixed with a hoodie. The designer had been planning to introduce the shape since last summer, after a visit to her friend and art dealer Max Levai in Montauk, N.Y.
“He gave me a sweater he made in collaboration with Jamian Juliano-Villani, an artist he represents. It’s a simple, men’s white sweater and [spells] ‘Mike Kelly’ in green on the front,” Zanardi said. “I instantly started wearing it. Despite the big size, I loved its volume. I took it to the tailor to tighten the elastic rib part, so I could wear it in a more bomber-like way.”
The lightweight terry cloth pieces, including pareo skirts embellished with artworks, will add a playful twist on poolside attire, while silk sets and suede vests — which Zanardi so nonchalantly dons as part of her everyday uniform dressing — will build on Yali’s distinctive relaxed attitude and overall idea of a wardrobe intended to be worn from day-to-night.
The seasonal color palette will combine the earthy tones of sun-drenched landscapes, such as the golden beige of suede and warm cream of hemp separates, with pops of color ranging from bright blue of linen pieces to jolts of rosy pink and red on velvet.
To be sure, Zanardi’s color-blocked approach is central to the brand’s collections, as it traces back to her childhood, when she suffered from dyslexia and was treated with textile and color therapy, which eventually informed her design process.
Born and raised in the Italian countryside and now based between New York City and Milan, Zanardi lived for two years in China, where she studied Mandarin, and during that period she fell in love with the country’s craftsmanship and textile heritage. Aiming to combine Chinese garment culture with a color and aesthetic sensibility rooted in her Italian origins, she moved to New York after college and established her own brand in 2018 offering a new and modern take on vintage Chinese jacket designs, tweaked in colors and fit.
Yali collections, averagely priced between 190 euros and 800 euros, are now available at the brand’s online store — where U.S.-based customers account for 45 percent of total orders — as well as at select retailers including Tea Rose in Milan, San Carlo in Turin, Maison Lorenz Bach in Switzerland and Ron Herman in Japan.