Gabriele Colangelo incorporated his love of the ancient world into his fall 2024 collection, which was built around octagons and was inspired by the mosaics of the Roman-era Villa Giulia in Brescia.
In keeping with Colangelo's approach, the fine craftsmanship and octagonal details were small or hidden, which takes guts in an industry that relies on appearances and instant impact.
“It's a two-dimensional world of Instagram images, but for me luxury is not about display. It's all about detail,” said Colangelo, who created a deceptively simple collection that was full of clean lines and minimalist style in a color palette that looked like a cafe menu: matcha, cappuccino, mint cream and whipped cream.
Creamy white double-face cashmere coats and shapely burgundy sweaters had rounded shoulders, while long, slim taupe coats had matcha green linings. The draped looks, reminiscent of togas, were among the strongest.
There were dresses with racer backs and a single pass of fabric down the front, while a long cream coat trimmed with a taupe cape was reminiscent of a cup of cappuccino. Two-tone blouses, painstakingly sewn with techniques normally used for cashmere coats, were worn with delicate leather pencil skirts.
Colangelo created the striking miniskirts and coats by joining small squares of leather with perforations in the shape of an octagon. The two-tone silk shirts were stitched together with the same precision as the mosaics, as were the tiny beads, which were arranged in small eight-sided shapes on the dresses that closed the show.
The jewelry was delicate, featuring a sinewy, sculptural gold necklace that transformed into a belt, a polished jade amulet wrapped in gold wire, and pieces of jade, in green, lilac, and black, as earrings. The designs reflected the collection's minimalist glamor and expert craftsmanship, worthy of a Roman empress.
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