The research for this Arnoldo] [Battois collection has produced a sophisticated mix of glamorous suggestions with a vintage flavour, with a decidedly contemporary atmosphere. The elongated silhouettes, shrinking around the legs and wrapping the whole body, are exaggerated on the back, which is defined by hyper-constructed volumes; the sleeves generate from these volumes, starting small and rounded on the shoulders and widening near the hemlines. Couture becomes Pop: the glamorous lines reminiscent of the Sixties, apparently defining the outfit, are contradicted and updated by the acid prints that twist heavy wools and soft silks. These unforeseen patterns are designed by Arnoldo] [Battois and produced exclusively for the brand by the Paoletti wool mill. Monkeys, flamingo, architectural details of Venetian views, peonies: all these elements populate the graphic landscapes that runs through the collection, infusing it with a chromatic rhythm. Overprints and nets turn the prints into kaleidoscopic visions, in conversation with the articulated structural overlap dictated by the patterns. This kind of complexity - putting in contact the acid vision of the contemporary world and the atmospheres evoking a glamorous past - is underlined by the choice of fabrics; double-face wools and soft cloths in pastel tones intertwine with blacks cottons and satins; the blend is interrupted by unexpected incursions of fur and lurex of the same tone, animating the very soul of the garments. The devoted attention to details that made iconic the bags of the brand is transferred onto all the garments of the collection; precious bags, small as military insignia, seem to grow from the box shoulders of the jackets, suddenly becoming pieces of jewellery, mixed with vintage buttons in the hues of pewter and gold.
[ph] S. Dragone - G. Palma / Luca Sorrentino
