No 21 A/W 2017

Mood board: Alessandro Dell’Acqua has flown off into the creative realm of complex cutting and layering in recent collections, but for A/W 2017 he fiercely reined in these trendy indulgences, returning to the soft, feminine silhouettes that made No 21 a cool girl mainstay in the first place. The show was more grown-up, and decisively less rooted in the street than seasons past but that shift had no bearing on its desirability.
Best in show: Dell’Acqua can cut pencil skirts and a rhinestone bedazzled cocktail dress like nobody’s business. But his real talent lies in taking all of the ladylike codes and mixing them breathlessly with something less sciura. Case in point: a camel knit sweater with a black mink fur pointed collar came in the shape and consistency of your little brother’s baseball sweatshirt. Even better were the oversized knitted crew neck sweaters featuring scenes of the slacker beach life in Los Angeles which Dell’Acqua mischievously paired with 1950s tweed circle skirts.
Finishing touches: Footwear is this designer’s speciality — surprisingly, he hoisted his models up and off their preferred flat (but wacky) footwear and instead wrapped them into pastel-hued stiletto sandals adorned with large crystals, wrapped up with satin ballerina ribbons around the ankle and worn with coloured socks. Butterfly buckle elastic belts and shiny rhinestone brooch pins completed the twisted vintage look.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
JJ Martin
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’
He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
Here in the UK, summer seems to be fading fast. Moody skies and showers called for early-autumn rituals for the Wallpaper* team: retreating into the depths of the Tate Modern, slipping into shadowy cocktail bars, and curling up with a good book
-
To celebrate 50 years in business, Giorgio Armani is opening up his extraordinary archive to everybody
Launched at the Venice Film Festival, Armani/Archivio is a digital archive charting 50 years of Giorgio Armani through the house’s most memorable designs
-
With an ode to Italy, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake brings its brand of fashion magic to Florence’s Pitti Uomo
Marking the start of a new nomadic way of showing for the Japanese label, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake held its S/S 2026 show at Florence’s Villa Medicea della Petraia as part of Pitti Uomo last night (18 June) with a collection inspired by the colours and textures of Italy
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023: Fendi to Prada
From Prada’s exploration of archetypal menswear garments to JW Anderson’s much-anticipated debut in the city, the best of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023, as it happens
-
Milan Fashion Week S/S 2022: ‘Fendace' to Ferragamo
Fashion Week returns to form in the Italian home of style and design. Here is everything you need to know about Milan Fashion Week S/S 2022
-
The filmic vision of Paris’ virtual men’s fashion week
Take an in-depth look at the trends of Paris' fashion week for Spring/Summer 2021, where brands turned to the moving image to express their collections virtually
-
Giorgio Armani A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's
-
Bottega Veneta A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's
-
Ports 1961 A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's
-
BOSS A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's