Few scenarios will have me excited to wake up at 7:45 am on a Friday, but an Etro womenswear show is an exception. At 8:00 am sharp, the luxury Italian label’s creative director, Veronica Etro, sent models down the runway at an industrial, light-filled venue decorated with the label’s paisley motif. As is the case with the majority of shows this year, viewers across the globe had a front-row seat to the live stream. While models were in motion on the catwalk, British-German singer-songwriter Arlissa performed a live set from Los Angeles.
For her latest collection, Etro looked to ballet superstar Rudolf Nureyev and American music icon Jimi Hendrix for inspiration. In particular, she became influenced by the unlikely pair’s free-spirited, rebellious attitudes and how they align with the 50-year-old brand’s colorful, bohemian aesthetic. The artists’ mutual appreciation of aesthetics is evident, but they undoubtedly had different backgrounds. That said, the intricacies of their respective wardrobes bring to life an FW21 lineup that’s equal parts elegant and exotic. As Etro tells us in an interview:
“Nureyev’s sophistication meets Hendrix’s indie style.”
Etro’s FW21 wares take the form of patchwork coats, baggy tie-dye corduroys, quilted anoraks, and blouses with inlaid bibs. Prints take cues from Russian ballet’s motifs and geometric intarsia, juxtaposed with the embroideries of Nureyev’s costumes that Etro founder Gerolamo Etro held onto for over 30 years. Hendrix’s influence makes its mark on the collection through upholstery patterns and tiger prints. No matter the look, though, the collection seeks to imbue the concept of freedom of dressing however one may please. “In this collection, in specific, I made pieces for the everyday life that are special but at the same time real and easy to match,” Etro tells us in an interview. “It’s a relaxed collection that wants to celebrate freedom.”
Click through the slideshow below to experience the collection in its entirety.
Watch the full stream of the Etro FW21 show below.
