Sometimes, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. The death of Krizia founder Mariuccia Mandelli in December has proved an epiphany for Zhu Chongyun, who took over ownership and creative direction of the house in 2014.
After steering the label in a futuristic direction with her first two collections, Zhu opted for a more reverential approach with her fall lineup, which included not only direct nods to the archives, but also felt generally more attuned to Krizia’s strong knitwear heritage, with a focus on rich textural effects.
She paid homage to Mandelli with two items made from gold metallic pleated fabric — a jumpsuit and pants with two rosettes fanning out over the chest or hips. The rest of the concise selection, shown in a static presentation, began with a series of all-black outfits in sparkling lurex, glistening fur and wool dévoré.
You May Also Like
There were bold color statements too, such as a striking fur coat in an intarsia motif incorporating fox, astrakhan and beaver hides dyed in the shades of autumn leaves.
Zhu acknowledged her recent change of heart with a humility that was unusual, considering she is one of China’s most successful entrepreneurs.
“When I first took over Krizia, I thought it might be perfect to use fabrics and pieces incorporating new technologies. But since I attended Mrs. Mandelli’s funeral, I feel like I have a brand new impression of Krizia. I realized perhaps I misunderstood the original Krizia,” she said through an interpreter.
The statement sounded heartfelt, and came across powerfully in the collection.