Anna Dello Russo Blends Maximalism, Minimalism for Max & Co.’s &Co.llaboration
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
MILAN – Who could successfully blend in ‘90s minimalism with a maximalist flair if not longtime fashion editor Anna Dello Russo?
The former Vogue Japan editor at large and creative consultant built her fashion career in that decade and is globally known for her flamboyant style, a dichotomy she embedded in her Max&Co. collaboration, part of the brand’s &Co.llaboration project.
More from WWD
Called “De-Coated” and debuting Wednesday during Milan Fashion Week, the streamlined capsule collection revolves around a single item, the coat.
“I think that any capsule should be complete and self-sufficient, that’s why I approached it with rationality,” Dello Russo said. “As soon as we started discussing the idea, I knew I wanted to start from overcoats. With climate change and warmer winters they are so little used and for a short period of time during the year. They sit in our wardrobes most of the time,” she said.
Dissecting the coat’s pattern, she had the garment turned into a blazer, minidress or cropped bomber, its back repurposed as a pencil skirt, its sleeves as bandeau tops and corsets. They are done in signature men’s tailoring fabrics, thick and tactile, including chevron wool, as well as in bubblegum pink vinyl and maxi sequins.
“It’s their hero product and whenever I do a collaboration, I always love to highlight what the company is best at,” Dello Russo said. “I loved working within the boundaries of having a single garment turned into something else,” she added.
She herself marveled at having the idea to deconstruct and subtract, the opposite of the maximalist, flamboyant and dressed-up looks that made her a favorite among streetstyle photographers.
“The coat served as a module to be deconstructed and repurposed… and then there’s this ‘get loose’ component,” she said, referring to the use of unexpected materials on some of the pieces, particularly the sequined minidress. “It’s for the Instagram generation,” she said.
The result, she said, echoes a style hero of hers, the late fashion editor Manuela Pavesi, who would wear ladylike dresses with chunky wingtip derbies, straddling feminine and masculine elements.
The collection, which is complemented by a golden tambourine bag with a chunky chain and a cropped T-shirt bearing the Max & Co. logo and AdR signature, drops for fall 2023, with the chevron look already available this week at the brand’s Milan and Rome flagship stores and on its e-commerce site.
The tie-up with Dello Russo marks the fourth installment of the &Co.llaboration project. Last September the brand linked with designer and curator Duro Olowu, following Efisio Rocco Marras, the creative director of I’m Isola Marras and son of designer Antonio Marras.
Best of WWD
