Antonio Marras Stages an Opera at Milan Fashion Week
Waves caressed the catwalk before the lights came on, reminiscent of the sea that separates Catalonia from Sardinia, Barcelona from Alghero. Aboard a boat, Antonio Marras’s crew arrives in the designer’s hometown to re-enact La bella d’Alghero, a lost opera from the late 19th century, re-enacted by Marras in scores and atmospheres through the looks of the Fall-Winter 25/26 season.
The first act is filled with pathos: a dramatic black dominates the looks, embellished here and there with shiny details, softened by transparencies, bows and stripes. The protagonists wear mermaid skirts with one or more final flounces, then jackets with structured shoulders and a waist that becomes increasingly narrow, for women as well as men. Organza roses bloom on jackets and sweaters, extending beyond the dresses with a stem covered with soft thorns, often held in the hands of the runway model.
The flower climbs on tights, then blooms in silver, red and black prints on jacquard dresses, sometimes colours are hand-painted on sweatshirts, outerwear and dresses, by Marras itself. Dresses go from black to shades of khaki, with golden tips, then dirty whites like artist’s canvases, and again white announcements of spring. The last act ends with white creations adorned with splashes of colour and the theatrical train of a last gown on which the curtain closes.
Applauding on the front row: Sharon Stone, Olivia Palermo, Michele Bravi, Tedua and Ginevra Ferro.
Photos: Camilla Vazzoler
Text: Anna Zucca
