Fashion brand ROMEO GIGLI presented their Spring Summer 2022 Anima Animus Collection, that explores the duality between feminine and masculine, as part of the ongoing Milan Fashion Week. Designer Alessandro De Benedetti found inspiration in his memories and personal passions, from the cinematography of Picnic at Hanging Rock movie, and ultra-feminine purity of the early 1900s, to the work of Japanese visual artist Riyoko Ikeda, and the ambiguity of the late 18th century horsemen of Versailles. The collection also explores fencing that fuses sophistication and precision of the masculine uniforms with elegance of movement.
“Shrouded in the inner secrecy of the clothes, the transformation takes place. We find dualism in the jackets, inspired by masculine tailoring, softened by feminine grace and sophistication: in “The Horseman”, we see the solid structure sliced in two, then gathered in the softness of the macro-ruffle in crimped macramé, or in “The Count of Fersen”, where lacing gives a subtle indication of the corset back that shapes its harmonious silhouette. It can be seen in the contradiction of the masculine truth of the rounded-fly macro-pant that lurks beneath the excessive volume of what appears to be a skirt, or in the stitching, in the canapé plastrons, the honey-combed elastic ruching skilfully hidden in the sides of the dresses and undersleeves: details borrowed from uniforms of past eras, together with inlays reminiscent of fencing jackets and their protective chest padding, hidden in the austere design of the front that dissolves into a charming, low-cut back.” – from Romeo Gigli
