Etro Men’s Fall 2019
There was a lot going on during Etro’s presentation, between the slightly creepy human mannequins wearing painted face masks and a bear-hug embrace of sustainability, with a mountain of eco fabrics and swing tags on denim asking customers to “Save the earth’s butt.”
Men’s creative director Kean Etro was in full flow during Sunday’s event at the Montenapoleone flagship, which showcased pieces including a jazzy plaid coat made from PET recycled bottles; jeans done in sustainable, eco-friendly denim, and a jacket patchworked together from bits of dead stock.
There were videos, plastic bottle sculptures and recycled sweater installations in the mix, too, driving home the point that Kean has gone green, and is not looking back.
“I started repairing my brothers’ shirts 25 years ago, replacing cuffs and collars, I made patchworks, and have been re-dyeing old fabrics,” said Etro, who plans to push his agenda forward next season, using even more recycled plastic for clothing, and creating a capsule collection built on dead stock. “I’ve had this in my heart from the beginning. The planet is sacred for me,” said Etro during a walk-through.
Etro’s natural passions also came through in the designs, with the surface of a green velvet jacket made to look like tree bark, long flower-flocked coats, a suit inspired by a 13th-century Sienese tapestry, and coats made from recycled wool or yak fibers and adorned with mythical, flora and fauna-inspired motifs.
Etro’s natural idyll wasn’t all roses: For those puzzled about the meaning of the masked mannequins — acrobats, rather than models — they were to remind everyone of the perils of artificial intelligence, and the importance of getting to know thyself inside and out, before the robots do. Humanism rules.
Launch Gallery: ETRO Men's Fall 2019
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