Stepping into the Durazzi Milano showroom after a six-month gap, one could sense the speed of fashion. What started earlier this year as a new brand with a concise collection displayed in a corner had evolved into a structured sophomore effort complemented by an array of accessories and requiring an extra room.
What remained unaltered is Ilenia Durazzi’s strong point of view — an asset for any designer, it is even more vital for an emerging brand trying to claim its own spot.
Not that Durazzi is a newbie. Her strong menswear background stems from key design roles under Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga, at Maison Margiela as well as through other ongoing collaborations, and now informs the impeccable tailoring in her own womenswear label. It must also have influenced her ability to convey an unapologetic attitude through clothes.
If her inaugural effort’s muse was an Amazon, for spring she cited a mermaid. A popular reference this season in Milan, Durazzi interpreted this character on her own terms.
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“The mermaid has always been an emarginated mythological figure, considered one that leads to perdition. So I wanted to remove her from that position,” the designer said.
In her empowering mission, Durazzi opted for clothes with sharp lines and a tactile quality. The sartorial pieces stood out for their sleek, precise cuts, with beautifully executed coats and vests revealing unexpected folds or pierced with metallic eyelets.
In working with different textures, Durazzi put holes in silver leather pants, introduced knitwear and embroidered raffia on miniskirts and midi skirts for a crafty effect. Even when playing with transparencies, the designer shied away from cheeky sexiness, opting for sheer utility shirts, ribbed knitted polos and tanks as well as a lovely wrap skirt overlaid with handmade passementerie.
“Of course when I work on menswear for others I have to respect their codes, it’s more rational. This is different, I don’t have to think about it. It’s very free and I didn’t expect to bring out all this femininity,” Durazzi said. “It’s liberating, I’m getting to know myself better.” It doesn’t get more empowering than that.