The fashion schedule had us zigzagging all over Milan today. One show ran over an hour late because of traffic and public protests that blocked off certain streets. Drivers and their anxious passengers agreed it was a “casino” (a “shitshow”). Above it all in his chaos-free fourth floor flat Marco Zanini opened a bottle of very good prosecco and showed off his new collection.
Zanini launched his brand in early 2019, and he makes no secret of the challenges of being a one-man show building a label from scratch in a city full of industrial behemoths. “I’m looking for support,” he said frankly. “It’s very positive to be above the confusion, but now I’d like someone to put some money in it.” He’s the kind of designer you hope gets the help and structure he needs because he has unwavering taste and an understated but luxurious aesthetic.
His spring is a little less formal than his previous seasons, though all of it is constructed with the same care as usual. Where many of the prints we see on the runways these days are designed on a computer with Photoshop, Zanini created his in collaboration with an artist based in Antwerp. There’s a lush chrysanthemum print on a cotton shirtdress and a finely rendered watercolor print of baskets on a silk one. He showed a video of the chrysanthemum drawing in process; it was two days in the making.
Tailoring is a Zanini calling card, only here he gave it a more carefree attitude. Cotton shorts made for an unexpected but believable accompaniment for an ivory silk jacquard blazer, and a Breton shirt in gray with plum stripes gave a chrysanthemum-print jacket and army green silk pants a chilled-out vibe. Other collectable knits included ribbed linen Henleys and tanks for layering, and cashmere in both shrunken cardigans and a blanket-size cocoon. It was tempting to button into that cocoon and keep sipping his prosecco high above the chaos long into the afternoon.
