Etro Reissues Its Original Men’s Shirt From the ’60s—With a Few Modern Twists
etro gallery
As with most major milestones, Etro’s 50th anniversary got the family thinking about the past. Last year it marked the occasion with a paisley-covered exhibition at Milan’s Museum of Cultures, and this week it’s relaunching its website and introducing a brand-new project: #EtroByYourName, a capsule of reissued heritage pieces. First up is the GE01, a men’s button-down shirt originally designed by Gimmo Etro in the late ’60s; the 2019 touch was to make it unisex and customizable. “Besides being an important milestone for our family, [the 50th anniversary] was an occasion to mentally regroup on what we’ve created throughout the years,” designer Veronica Etro tells Vogue. “We feel we have worked on incredible stories and that it’s now time to ‘open up,’ to develop them, starting from our roots. The GE01 is a foundation of our DNA—a true classic, directly from our archives, reissued as an authentic, timeless, and customizable must-have.”
Candice Swanepoel wore her oversized blue-striped GE01 as a minidress on the Venice Film Festival red carpet; it looked like she’d swiped it from her husband’s closet, then simply added a belt and heels. It mirrors Veronica’s own thoughts about androgynous style. “I’ve always loved to wear menswear items and often wore this shirt,” she explains. “Nowadays, the world is increasingly fluid and fashion truly reflects this positive change. The GE01 is a ‘menswear item’ but can be styled in very feminine ways.” What sets it apart from other classic button-downs on the market is the luxe fabric (lest you forget the company began as a textile supplier) and Etro’s signature pegasus embroidered on the chest pocket. There’s also the option to embroider your name or monogram above it, hence the Call Me by Your Name reference in the capsule’s name. “Personalization makes items special and desirable,” she says. “Last February, we launched our customizable paisley RSVP clutches, and they sold out within a couple of days!”
The shirt is likely to make a few appearances in Phil Oh’s street style coverage at Milan Fashion Week, which starts tomorrow. In unusual color combinations—one shirt has varying stripes of blue, orange, pink, and lavender, while another mixes teal, lemon, purple, and gray—they’re the ideal counter to your favorite jeans. Veronica promised there will be more styling ideas on the Spring 2020 runway. “It will, of course, be one of the protagonists of the upcoming show!” Each shirt is $440 and will be available exclusively on Etro’s redesigned website starting Thursday.
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Originally Appeared on Vogue
