The notoriously rakish creative directors—Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina—leaned on a mature edge. Their quirky, wearable and accessible vein made for a truly brilliant SS25 show.
If there is one collection that encapsulated everything that’s best about Spring—and gave it a high degree of soulful expression—it would be Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina for Sunnei.
If you want the simplicity of a fuss-free, bare-it-all, finely-sculpted silhouette? It’s here. Are you craving a dose of multifaceted jubilance with it? That’s here, too. And what about a thoughtful, culturally-inspired manifesto that celebrates the vibrant eclecticism of Milan’s population? Well, look no further.
In a way, Rizzo and Messina’s collection was a feat of cultural genius. They started by making fabric out of tousled-meets-light cotton, winding oversized metres of the stuff around the body to make shapely dresses, skirts and toppers—a step on from the highly-layered textiles of their AW24 collection.
What makes them so special, however, is the humility and grounded direction of their focus. Instead of losing the plot in small details or sensationalist thinking, they said, “We want to be here, enjoying the creative process while living the moment with all manner of emotions”.
The result was a tour de force of innovation and youthful optimism, sprinkled with the most outrageously gorgeous casting—made entirely of elderly models, the brand celebrated its 10th anniversary by travelling through time, questioning the notion of growing up but keeping grounded in their jaunty spirit that matures (again, with the passing of time).
The show spanned over two floors, and its pace was slower than usual; guests sat, music played, and the ambience paused. But then it began with an increasingly capricious pace, attempting to slow but keeping an upbeat tempo throughout.
Every calibration of functional-led offerings was represented rigorously and consistently, as evidenced by plain wool corp-core dresses and pantsuits split between breezy separates, reflecting in the mature symphony of a brand that’s been built on a tongue-in-cheek mien through the years.
The celebration of bold colours was of an extremely delightful kind which comprised most signature stripes and volumes that have appeared season after season but never felt so meaningful as they do now. There are elements that veer on snobbish, explosive shapes that detach from all major trends, in a luxe way that is all their own.
In a season when so many have anxiously cast around for what women will want in the coming months, Rizzo and Messina may have intuited the best answer of all: give us quirky, give us maturity, and always expand your craft on the possibility of utter gorgeousness.
by Chidozie Obasi