THE FUSION of cultures has always been emphatically at the core of each Etro style, and this year the AW20 collection of the Italian house was no exception. The spirit of nomadism, wandering, and adventure is embedded within Etro, so this year Valentina Etro once again embraced it with her collection and presented an exciting mixture of adventure, romanticism, and ultimate femininity.
This year one of the outstanding features of this collection was the boho-chic meets the Wild West aesthetic. Models were seen sporting cowboy hats, which also bore a similar resemblance to Indiana Jones’ famous look, alongside ponchos and trademark Etro floral and paisley prints.
Red became one of the central hues of the Etro’s collection and made the plaid ponchos with fringed jackets, blanket coats, and intarsia knit cardigans all more visually exciting.
Valentina Etro intended to make a collection that was intrinsically romantic and feminine through and through. Her endeavour to do so was particularly seen through the shimmering velvet in dark hues, often combined with lace – a look that was domineering towards the end of the show.
At the end of the show Valentina Etro arranged a surprise for her audience – as the room went pitch black before the grand finale, the models started coming out in vinyl raincoats with Etro’s signature paisley prints on the sleeves. Such a drastic change in the show’s mood was deliberately made to accompany Etro’s presentation of its multi-coloured Black Pegaso bags, which the models were accessorising with.
With this show for Milan Fashion Week, Etro has once again successfully proven its impeccable skill of fusing together several cultures which fit together organically.
by Lexi Fadina