By Lizzy Bowring
The Poetic Power Of Femininity Through Strength, Fragility, And Beauty
It feels like only yesterday when, in Milan, we visited the spectacular Pinacoteca Braidense di Brera to view the Giada collection, presented from the hands of its Creative Director, Gabriele Colangelo. Back then, the beauty and timelessness of each piece was cause for celebration yet within this collection an even more powerful nuance had evolved. Colangelo and his team of artisans had brought together the true definition of art and culture – “the expression of creativity or imagination, the making or doing of things that have form and beauty”. It is at the heart of this very premise of both the Giada brand and Colangelo’s design philosophy of fashion as a form of art, (along with his background in literature and architecture), that the connection to the brand’s philosophy, ‘art to art’ runs parallel.
Within this creative ethos, where every part of the brand’s function alludes to the world of art, it strives to promote indelible learnings; and so, for 2022, the Giada Academy, Beijing, is born. An inspiring new venture that showcases the intrinsic Italian cultural heritage in the world of art, and literature, where cultural events will come together in activities and workshops. The hope is that by empowering like-minded women to learn about art and literature, they will join to share different kinds of professional knowledge. These thoughtful nuances thread throughout the brand, spearheaded by the same sensibility of Gabriele Colangelo.
Speaking to Gabriele and asking him amongst many things, what motivates him. Intense, thoughtful, he responded –
Readings from Greek literature, they provide special messages. Fashion is about messages – the social role representing a positive perspective for the future. There is so much beauty and emotion that evolves from these books”
He went on to articulate that observing nature also forms the base of his design ethics,
art is the imitation of nature – the translation of nature gives to me happiness and an inspiring dream
Suffice to say that a never-ending question posed to creatives is how has the pandemic affected their lives.
I have to say especially during the day there were two things that happened to my life. I became extremely creative, I created so much and the second was not so much about work but my daily routine. I practice yoga every day and this helped me to stay connected, we are always in a rush to do so much. The pandemic gave us the possibility to reset what was before and to provide a moment of reflection. To try things differently”
And so, while returning from a recent trip to Helsinki on a boat, Gabriele took time to observe and to drink in the beauty laid before him,
I don’t know what it was, but it touched me deeply and the images stayed in my mind, the atmosphere, the light reflecting from the water into the horizon, the grey-blue sea, the lights, it was the last day of the last year and I wanted to keep this whole picture in my mind. There is so much that we take for granted – the things that are beautiful around us.
Here was a deep insight into the imagery for the Giada collection for Fall 2022, where the prescient ebb and flow from S/S 22 continues.
And today, as I watched and embraced the collection unfurling before me, Gabriele’s words resonated. I felt myself holding my breath at each beautiful silhouette. It was deep and emotive, the clothes conveying a true feminine sensibility that was both delicate and strong.
Picture this – a flower amongst the rocks – representing fragility, beauty, and strength. The presentation revolved around these beautiful premises, symbolized and illuminated by the connection with nature – a volcanic landscape, the nordic light, the face and colors of the rocks – evoking a dreamy atmosphere with colours inspired and flowing from nature’s landscape. Beige, white, warm brown, mineral blue, amber, black; these hues flow in accessible harmony with the texture of the materials – cashmere, wool, organza, and silk.
The flowers emerging from in between the rocks were transposed and delicately placed on languid silhouettes. There is no fuss in these pieces, the designs speak volumes by their streamlined simplicity – long, flowing, or short and revealing yet with a fragility that exudes a woman’s confidence in herself, a point of strength that is a great evolution for the brand.
More often than not, when we talk about female empowerment, it’s not about broad shoulders but a sartorial cut yet today, we witnessed a new strong sensuality with the softness of Giada.
“A woman exudes confidence when she wears clothes like this and that was kind of where in my mind, the central idea is about the design and also coincidentally women’s empowerment through her feminine strength”.
This underlying thought process threads through the Giada brand as it continues to link the evolution of the female interpretation of women’s power and its brand philosophy of “Art to Art”. Giada insists on its emphasis on the communication between women and art, as this unique concept extends into more cities with Giada Academy.
Gabriele drew parallels with his love of architecture unfolding through these sartorial influences – the cut, the tailoring, the construction of the shoulder line yet keeping it all soft and fluid, or a new shape appearing in the neckline, again, revealing unexpectedly, the beauty of a woman’s body, and further emphasizing the strength in the innate power of womanhood.
“I love architecture and especially menswear tailoring particularly in the care and the construction of the shoulders yet keeping it very soft and fluid in a way that may be masculine but is a very gentle and feminine focus that embodies perfectly the idea of the collection, and at the same time I love this interesting play.”
The looks are elevated, fluid. Here, Gabriele stressed the importance of details in the clothing where sensual accents appearing subtly at the back of the clothes are just as important.
It’s not just about the full front appearance but the beautiful discreet surprises – a peek of skin, the back of a woman, the relationship of the accessories and how they unfold in a garment
The details were, stunning. Take the warm amber-toned dress with its asymmetrically pleated ‘cloak’, delicately wrapped around the model’s shoulders, or the fluid Black and Navy coat that displayed sheer printed silk pleats, the patterns of which, evoked the surface and colour of rocks.
As for the jewelry, my mind went back to the stunning pieces (albeit created by the Italian artisans to whom Gabriele keeps close) that accompanied his collection from S/S 22, inspired by the sea, shells, and weathered glass of the ocean. The fall pieces had a zen-like appeal, surfaces as weather-worn rocks but smooth to touch; there were irregular pearls, crafted into necklaces and earrings, while the leather totes came with the chromatic cut of crystals. These special elements are all part of the continuing aesthetic – placing jewelry in places not expected,
“where this becomes a beautiful discovery and makes the dress a jewel in itself.”
Finally, I asked, “What makes Gabriele happy”?
“The deep reflections of nature and creating, yes creating”.
In the search for creative perfection, Giada desires to present beauty in its purest form, and in doing so, every piece in the Giada collection is carefully considered with a strong focus on the discreet power that lies behind femininity
“It is the role of the designer to make women beautiful and strong in their own identity”.