Gabriele Colangelo RTW Spring 2020

Click here to read the full article.

Gabriele Colangelo took inspiration from the old photography technique of Lumen print to come up with his soft color palette: Simple separates such as high-neck, long-sleeve blouses, fluid cotton trousers and silk shift dresses were done in apricot, pale yellow and lilac, inspired by faded photographs of flowers.

The pastels didn’t seem too saccharine thanks to the designer’s extensive use of leather, toughening up the looks. “Leather is the new lace,” said Colangelo backstage, pointing to a yellow knit insert running all around a model’s midriff on a gray shift dress, made of leather knotted by hand. Trousers had aprons made of supple gray leather tied to their front, a long twisted leather strand left dangling on one hip. A simple white shirt dress was elevated thanks to a one-shoulder leather plastron in butterscotch — a very desirable look.

More from WWD

There were tie-dye prints and dye effects mimicking the effect of sun rays on photographic paper, as well as a couple of interesting textile experiments. A pair of gray silk linen jacquard trousers had a line of thread left unfinished on the upper part of the leg, giving a fringed effect, also spotted at the collar and edges of a gray tunic. “We took out the horizontal threads,” explained the designer. “I like the fact that the garment maintains its architecture while still being very soft and fluid.” It was quite an intellectual collection in the best way: Clothes for women who wear their complexity on their sleeve.

Launch Gallery: Gabriele Colangelo RTW Spring 2020

Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.