Berluti’s Fall/Winter 2021/2022 Collection was finally unveiled today, after some pandemic delay. The video collection, titled “Living Apart While Together,” was broadcast both online and via 10 screens for a live audience in Shanghai. It was also fittingly inspired by the tension between digital and physical life.
While audience across the world were limited to the online broadcast of the show, Shanghai attendees were able to experience the clothes and look at the small details and textures in person via a mannequin showcase.
“I think that is also a very strong message within this period," Berluti Artistic Director Kris Van Assche told WWD. "I think these digital presentations—they’re fine, they’re great. We can make great movies, but it’s hard to make the difference between mainstream and high-end. I think for Berluti, there is definitely a danger in that.”
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Led by Van Assche and produced by longtime collaborator and friend Yoanne Lemoine, the runway show featured models walking across an all-white background, which allowed the clothes’ colors to shine through.
The vibrant hues of the collection were largely inspired by Berlin-based Russian artist Lev Khesin. Alongside the multi-color pendants of Spanish artist Jorge Penadés, who specializes in the upcycling of leather overstock into compressed solid objects, Berluti’s newest collection was filled with color.
The collection embodied “fluidity, adaptability, and the human hand,” reads Berluti’s own description.
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While sticking to Berluti’s sleek and elegant lines, the Fall/Winter collection features bright pinks and oranges to blues and purples. Perhaps the most impressive technique was the use of two-toned gradient suits, crafted by photo printing the artworks onto wool.
Van Assche also created deconstructed versions of Khesin's paintings, extracting colors for mismatched pants and jackets. Contrasted color blending and color-blocked pieces were adorned with matching cloche bucket hats, squared sunglasses and leather bags. Leather and iridescent finishings were also prominent.
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Van Assche also focused the collection largely on shoes, taking inspiration from the techniques of garments applied to the last detail. In mixing a textured foam sole with a classic leather shoe, embellishing the square-toed brogues with point Norwegian, and adding patina leather to the new sneakers, Berluti’s footwear hybridized the dress codes of sport and formal wear. All while maintaining their signature classic and elegant lines.
Overall, the collection continues the conversation between the tactile and the digital, searching for material connections in the digital space.
For more information about the collection check out Berluti’s website. See the fashion show below.
Photography by: YouTube Video
