COLLINI MILANO TO DEBUT FASHION FILM THIS WEEKEND

by Stephen Garner

This Saturday, Collini Milano will debut the film “No One Is Innocent” at its Via Cusani store in Milan as part of Milan Fashion Week.

The film, which was produced and creative directed by brand owner Carmine Rotondaro, is the brand’s way of showcasing its new spring/summer 2021 collection. Ilaria Niccolini served as art director on the project while Daniela Carrieri was the stylist.

“No one is innocent,” said Carmine Rotondaro, owner and creative director of Collini Milano. “The experience we all just went through has revealed a shared responsibility, a common destiny, and a connected humanity. I believe it also underlined that simple pleasures in life are also the most precious ones, and our new priority is to add beauty and gratification to everyday life. At Collini, we are determined not to ignore the importance of enriching our lives through the pleasure of dressing in superb textiles, allowing the creation of a distinctive and personal identity to be savored in solitude or in intimate company, as well as on the public stage.”

The new spring/summer 2021 collection is inspired by the childlike joy of a traveling circus, complete with imaginary creatures who inhabit this new reality. Stylized animal prints and textures become new classics, from the logo subtly integrated between black zebra stripes on gutsy green and leopard spots on bold turquoise to luxurious golden crocodile jacquard.

For this season, the Collini man dons a black and white zebra print techno anorak complete with removable spiked shoulder chains and matching face mask in a renewed interaction of maxi volumes over new classic silk trousers and leopard striped sneakers. Or a pin-striped lurex jacket in bordeaux over military green trousers trimmed in bordeaux lateral stripes and white rubber-soled and embroidered camperos. Or even a tuxedo jacket paired with soft suede jogging pants, taking subtle inspiration from haute couture.

Shoes are both bold and functional, enhancing each look and easily combining with dresses as well as shorts and trousers. Sneakers are principally unisex, models feature varying heights, these street staples are characterized by bold colors and luxury details. Camperos, another Collini cult item, transform into white leather sneakers embellished with stylized black flame embroidery.

And, on Monday, September 28th, Caffé Rivoire in Florence, which happens to be owned by Rotondaro, will host the first class for students of the University of Florence studying “Fashion System Design.”

“Schools and universities need to experiment with new forms of teaching and knowledge transmission,” explained a note from the department of architecture and design of the University of Florence. “After the long months in lockdown, we are rediscovering and giving new value to relationships, that are the basis of school life. But COVID forces some rules on us, to contain the spread of the virus, and this is why the University of Florence is coming up with new ways of interpreting its teaching mission.”

“When I acquired the prestigious Caffé Rivoire, I had in mind exactly this: to bring back to life the splendid tradition of literary cafés, of cafés as a place where intelligence and beauty can meet and engage each other, in an accessible and stimulating environment,” said Rotondaro. “Long live culture, long live Rivoire!”

“After a hundred years, this city has the chance to redesign its mission, recovering the cultural values of innovation and creativity that belong to it,” concludes the note from the University of Florence.

Rotondaro added that he promises to surprise Florentine citizens and all lovers of Firenze around the world with a calendar of upcoming high-profile initiatives linking fashion with arts, and communication, framed by Rivoire’s newly-restyled setting and sweetened by its legendary chocolate.