When Alberto Aspesi founded his eponymous label in 1969, he first launched as a shirtmaker. This silhouette has become a mainstay of the brand, and a focal point of its advertising campaigns. In 1988, Robert Frank lensed a monochromatic series of images of sleek city professionals porting Aspesi’s, elegant striped designs, and a year later, Peter Lindbergh shot Linda Evangelista wearing a white shirt on the streets of New York, with a collar emblazoned with militaristic gold badges.
Now, the label has turned its attention to the interior elements of its signature shirt designs. A/W 2020 sees the launch of a utilitarian nylon shirt jacket, in a range of delectable hues, from cerulean to sorbet pink, with a padded layer that packs a sustainable punch. The design’s insulation has been crafted with Thermore wadding - crafted using recycled plastic from waste bottles. A total of ten bottles are used to craft a single shirt style - an impressive easer of plastic waste.
The Shirt-Jacket 13 is just one example of Aspesi’s eco-aware A/W 2020 output. The season also sees the launch of colourful crepe dresses, designed using excess print fabrics, emblazoned with cherries and graphic shapes, from the brand’s archives.
Waterproof and windproof, Aspesi’s shirt silhouette provides a protective layer for the upcoming winter months. It also taps into luxury’s ongoing fascination for utilitarian, intrepid shapes and pieces that would perform just as well in the great outdoors as on the city’s streets. You’ll be wrapped up warm and feeling eco-aware too. §
