It’s not every day that fashion combines with academics to make a statement on the shortcomings of mankind, but that’s exactly what Gaia Trussardi did when she presented the Trussardi Spring/Summer 2016 collection yesterday at Milan Fashion Week Men’s. The sportswear line was presented in the library of Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera, a perfect stage for her collection as well as her ideas on humanity’s lifestyles and cultures.
Well-dressed models, dancers and acting graduates read from the works of Pirandello, Kant, Baudelaire and Voltaire, reciting text that dealt with morality and good versus evil while a dark-robed figure wandered between them. "That is the dark soul, and represents ignorance, a lack of culture," Trussardi told Style.com. While a bit dark for what was essentially a men’s fashion show, she made a dramatic impression and her collection echoed her intellectual sentiments.
The collection was preppy but undone, blazers and pants were rendered to visually replicate sweatpants while still maintaining their designer touch through luxurious materials like linens, leather and raffia. Outwear was given a softer look with cottons and linens to mimic materials like denim and wool. Done entirely in muted tones of brown, grey and black, the models each seemed like they were dressed more appropriately for scholarly pursuits than anything as frivolous as fashion, but that only added to the depth of the presentation.
