Review of Etro Fall 2023 Fashion Show
Comfy Chic
By Mark Wittmer
The setting of a Milanese palazzo in the process of being rebuilt and restored felt potently symbolic for Etro’s Fall 2023 women’s show. It’s only creative director Marco de Vincenzo’s second women’s collection for the historic Italian house, and he is tasked with preserving its legacy while guiding it forward: a task he continues to handle gracefully.
While the collection didn’t offer any big surprises, de Vincenzo’s work nicely balanced comfort and elegance as he explored and subtly exaggerated volume, softness, and layering.
A thoughtful emphasis on materiality has characterized much of the designer’s work at Etro so far, and this collection continued to push this practice while bringing it more in line with designing for bodily comfort. Thus knits and silks come to the fore; blanket scarves or oversized cardigans cocoon the neck and shoulders, spilling over beaded knit dresses or printed silk dresses that gracefully sweep the floor. Soft tweeds and corduroy expand the material conversation, while leather bags are practical, while sometimes appearing in playful colors.
The feeling of comfort extends beyond materials and into the sense of proportion and the carefree yet polished layering as well. Outerwear like the scoop neck, cardigan-like jackets is exaggerated in size; jackets are left unbuttoned to move freely yet protectively cocoon the wearer. Sheer chiffon dresses expose the body beneath, and while it’s quietly sexy, the look is for the sake of the comfort and confidence of the wearer rather than any external gaze. (The pumped-up knee-high boots don’t exactly fit into this theme of comfort, but if nothing else they’re a strong statement and very Italian.)
The oversized layering almost flirts with entering the 90s grunge revival trend we’ve seen recently, but the level of composure and craft of the individual pieces means it stays firmly outside of it. This primness is further pushed by the oversized bows of silk blouses or the sharp pencil skirts, as well as the flouncy, fluttery dresses that sometimes are layered over and sometimes left to be the main attraction. Elsewhere some 70s influence creeps through in wide lapels and legs and chunky mules, but it manages not to feel boho – de Vincenzo vowed he wouldn’t take the brand back there.
The house’s reputation for craft is celebrated in the embellished knitwear or the floral embroidery that blooms across leather jackets and bags.
One place the collection lags behind a bit is its use of color – something that feels like it should be one of Etro’s strong suits. It feels either too muted or too bright and clashy; there’s not a lot of focus to it, and with so many pieces with many different subdued colors on them, the looks start to blend together.
For as much as fashion is about looking good, just as important should be feeling good. Etro shows that adorning the body means addressing both.
Wisely embodying this principle through a celebration of the house’s legacy of excellence in craft and material, Marco de Vincenzo has capped off a strong opening chapter for his time there.
