SANSOVINO6, a knitwear brand created by American designer Edward Buchanan, presented its Fall/Winter 2017-18 collection at Pitti Uomo 91 in January. The show, held as part of Pitti Italics, a showcase for new Italian-based brands, thrilled the audience with its highly entertaining show.

After graduating from Parsons in New York in 1995, Buchanan moved to Italy and served as design director at Bottega Veneta. He then returned to the United States, where he designed for brands such as Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez. He is also known for his consulting career for Italian brands. The brand name, "SANSOVINO 6," is the address of a knitwear factory in Milan. Buchanan and his colleagues founded the brand in 2009 to preserve the high-quality knitwear techniques used there.

This collection features both men's and women's lines, focusing on grayish knitwear. While knit dresses and skirts were also proposed, items like ponchos, wide-leg pants, long cardigans, jackets, and sweaters were styled genderlessly. The use of materials, such as multi-borders made from mixed yarns, mosaic patterns, and color-blocked sweaters, all conveyed a sense of quality. The relaxed, minimalist designs paired well with streetwear, creating an effortless collection that embraced the versatility of knitwear.

What really enlivened the venue was the performance. Before the show began, an MC set the mood with a verse from Chic's "Chic Cheer," a sample familiar to both disco and club generations. A live band played a soulful, high-quality performance, featuring silhouettes throughout the show. The entertainment, devoid of digital elements, complemented the collection's soft knitwear.

The performance perfectly matched the theme of Pitti Uomo 91, "Dance Off," and Marcelo Burlon made a cameo appearance among the models. The band continued playing after the show ended, and people involved packed the backstage area, enjoying a peaceful time with the models and band members.

Buchanan's message that "rather than being based on commercial calculations, we need to create clothes that people can truly enjoy freely" became an event that inspired the Italian fashion industry, the overseas press and buyers, just like Visvim, who presented a happy show at Pitti Uomo 90 last June and received high praise.

Text: Tatsuya Noda