For season Fabio Quaranta fall winter 2022 – 2023, Fabio Quaranta goes on with his study on the physical and cultural features of the single garment, in order to move it away from its stereotyped codes and transform it in a mutating object, giving it different identities. The research encompasses various types of outwear, including the hybrid Ket (no jacKet no blanKet) that was already presented last winter. This season Ket not only combine the geometrical pureness of the blanket and the tailored construction of the jacket, but adopt new shapes and becomes by turns a dress or a shirt or a skirt.
The garments are like a map where to draw a design path which starts from the simpleness of a classical clothing item and ends with the sophistication of a contemporary wardrobe. The garment is defined by its capacity of being universal, its versatility in function and usability, overcoming the distinction between male and female and surpassing the sizing system.
Fabio Quaranta’s exploration focus on building a dialogue in which the objects are continually evolving and connected as an expression of an intermediate reality that represent the current time. The outerwear are ambivalent front and back showing different sides of the same unicum.
The title, Ad Urania, is an homage to an imaginary muse, as a symbol of femininity. The feminine aspect, meant as a renewing and proactive energy, inspire a sensual and gentle aesthetic, where body and garments are both objects of the gaze. The femininity becomes a universal feature, eclectic and free, that takes inspiration by inedited objects alterations.
A collaboration between Fabio Quaranta and George Sowden, one the the first partners of Memphis Group, is part of this context: five patterns from Sowden, with solid geometries and pop colors, vivify lightweight Kets, that in their turn create new shapes opposing vibrant and sober aspects of the look.
The collection is composed by fabrics taken from the typical formal male wardrobe like twill and wool cloth. Reminding the uniforms, the outfits are studied with a single color block, that recall the uniforms, sometimes broken by a slash of red or blu from little bumbag worn as crop top. The color palette is composed by white, grey, beige, ochre, army green, blu and black.
The accessories include a series of caps that remind the ones of the flight assistants and an hybrid shoe composed by a classical leather laced shoe and a sneaker sole.
Ad Urania is presented with a video directed by Tijana Mamula with choreography by Annamaria Ajmone.
All images courtesy of Fabio Quaranta
CREDITS VIDEO DIRECTION by TIJANA MAMULA Tijana Mamula teaches cinema at John Cabot University in Rome. She is the author of “Cinema and Language Loss: Displacement, Visuality and The Filmic Image” (2013) CHOREOGRAPHY by ANNAMARIA AJMONE Annamaria Ajmone is choreographer and dancer. She is co-founder of Nobody’s Indiscipline, an artists exchange practice platform. She is associate artist at Triennale Milano Teatro. SYLING by FRANCESCA CEFIS MUSIC by HEROIN IN TAHITIARTWORKS by GEORGE SOWDEN CASTING @ STREETPEOPLECASTING PHOTOS by LUCA TREVISANI Luca Trevisani is a visual artist. In his work, the historical features of sculpting are questioned, if not subverted, in an ongoing research on material and narration.