Poetry in Slow Motion
BY MARK WITTMER
Giada’s Spring 2021 fashion presentation revels in a poetic minimalism, slowing down the pace to honestly capture the technical mastery and sophistication of creative director Gabriele Colangelo’s designs.
In designing his collections for Giada, Colangelo sets out to create pieces which are timeless. Having studied classical languages and literature through university, he is deftly aware of the dialectical power of tradition and interpretation. He combines this poet’s sensitivity with a craftsman’s perception, creating work that is technically masterful in terms of material and construction.
Thus, the difficulty of putting on a traditional, physical show this season was a great boon for Colangelo and Giada: it means that he can present his work at his own speed. In the furious fifteen minutes of a runway show, details stride past and are forgotten. Colangelo spends monumental time and effort crafting the impeccable details of his pieces, and Spring 2021’s digital presentation captures this process in a way a runway show cannot.
In film and photography by Annemarieke van Drimmelen, the collection is given time and space to unfold itself in all its sublime detail. Classic wardrobe pieces are poetically interpreted in restful earth tones. Seam and cut and fold are treated like literary devices, subtly conversing with each other to compose a harmoniously unfurling whole. The motif of precious minerals which beautifully characterizes the accessories of the collection – and forms the imagery’s backdrop – feels like a thoughtful exchange between the natural world and the artist: these geological wonders are only formed over the course of millennia.
Alongside the reveal of the collection, Giada has created a week-long virtual experience. Fans are invited to explore a virtual reconstruction of Giada house, the three floors of which have been specially curated for the Spring 2021 collection. A fourth floor, which only exists virtually, will act as a retrospective of past collections.
The slowed-down and immersive nature of this presentation feels thoughtful and refreshingly honest. Colangelo has brilliantly given his audience a way to experience his work at their own pace, much more in tune with the way one approaches a poem or a work of art. And indeed, his work for Giada is just that.
