ETRO's 2018 Spring/Summer men's collection was unveiled in the form of an installation at its Milan headquarters showroom on June 18th. While it's unlikely they predicted the scorching heat that continues to plague Milan, the theme was "Indian Summer." The courtyard was decorated to resemble a party in Goa, a resort town in southern India, and even featured sitar music. Following on from the spiritual and mountain-themed collection from the 2017-18 Fall/Winter season, which was unveiled in January, the exhibition could be seen as an homage to the psychedelic generation.
The entrance to the exhibition held in the courtyard of the Milan headquarters
The collection was inspired by Creative Director Kean Etro's grandfather. He was a textile dealer who stayed in what was then Madras during India's dry season, spending his days interacting with local weavers. This season, Etro has painstakingly worked to recreate the characteristics of the fabrics from that time in Italy. Kean has also boldly superimposed his father, Etro's founder, Jinmo Etro, onto the pop art of 1960s psychedelic icon Jimi Hendrix, using him as a model for a T-shirt as "Jinmo Hendrix." T-shirts are not printed, but rather created with woven fabric and sequins.
The spiritual theme of this collection, inspired by Etro's iconic paisley, which originated in India, is highlighted by Indian deities such as cows, elephants, and psychedelic frogs. Talismans, a trend that has emerged in Milan men's fashion since last season, are also featured.
Formal suiting is absent, and the collection focuses on paisley cotton suits and linen jackets featuring Etro's archive patterns from the 1960s, as well as handwoven, rough-textured fabrics such as cotton linen and linen viscose. There are also overdyed pieces reminiscent of organic dyes. The highlight of the collection is a tuxedo decorated with silver paisley patterns and beading, a suggestion for informal wear.
The back of a glen plaid jacket is patchworked with an embroidered tapestry of elephants, and the back of a military jacket is also decorated with an elephant made of metal studs. Each item is adorned with handmade ornaments, including hand-painted paisley, flower and mandala embroidered patches, band collar shirts and kaftans, all reminiscent of vintage items from the 60s.
The bottoms include easy pants made from linen and cotton boucle, embroidered denim and leather espadrilles, all with hand-painted details, and suede paisley moccasin-style sneakers, making this a collection that feels like a statement for a new era for Etro, with off-duty styles thoroughly finished with gorgeous handmade craftsmanship.
Text: Tatsuya Noda
The entrance to the exhibition held in the courtyard of the Milan headquarters
The collection was inspired by Creative Director Kean Etro's grandfather. He was a textile dealer who stayed in what was then Madras during India's dry season, spending his days interacting with local weavers. This season, Etro has painstakingly worked to recreate the characteristics of the fabrics from that time in Italy. Kean has also boldly superimposed his father, Etro's founder, Jinmo Etro, onto the pop art of 1960s psychedelic icon Jimi Hendrix, using him as a model for a T-shirt as "Jinmo Hendrix." T-shirts are not printed, but rather created with woven fabric and sequins.
The spiritual theme of this collection, inspired by Etro's iconic paisley, which originated in India, is highlighted by Indian deities such as cows, elephants, and psychedelic frogs. Talismans, a trend that has emerged in Milan men's fashion since last season, are also featured.
Formal suiting is absent, and the collection focuses on paisley cotton suits and linen jackets featuring Etro's archive patterns from the 1960s, as well as handwoven, rough-textured fabrics such as cotton linen and linen viscose. There are also overdyed pieces reminiscent of organic dyes. The highlight of the collection is a tuxedo decorated with silver paisley patterns and beading, a suggestion for informal wear.
The back of a glen plaid jacket is patchworked with an embroidered tapestry of elephants, and the back of a military jacket is also decorated with an elephant made of metal studs. Each item is adorned with handmade ornaments, including hand-painted paisley, flower and mandala embroidered patches, band collar shirts and kaftans, all reminiscent of vintage items from the 60s.
The bottoms include easy pants made from linen and cotton boucle, embroidered denim and leather espadrilles, all with hand-painted details, and suede paisley moccasin-style sneakers, making this a collection that feels like a statement for a new era for Etro, with off-duty styles thoroughly finished with gorgeous handmade craftsmanship.
Text: Tatsuya Noda
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