Scene setting: Last season, Manuel Facchini looked to the desert landscape of Burning Man festival for inspiration. For A/W 2019, he had something a little icier in mind, taking inspiration from ethereal green and pinkish hues of the Aurora Borealis and the crystal clear purity of Artic Ice. A graphic polar landscape set the scene of his sophomore show at the helm of the brand, with a graphic canopy leading onto the runway, resembling a tessellated version of the Northern Lights.
Mood board: It’s poignant that Facchini looked to polar scenes for autumn – never has the fragile state of our ice caps been more in focus. His accompanying collection, imaged in white, neon pinks, orange and aquamarine had an environmentally friendly élan. Bold men’s and women’s puffer jackets were created from recycled nylon and stitched to resemble graphic shards of ice. Elsewhere, plastic bottles were recycled and used as a pearl-like detail, which embellished party dresses. Sports and street wear was the focal point here, blended with alpine accessories including snow boots, bold fake fur balaclavas and ski goggles.
Best in show: For men, an iridescent purple mackintosh had Savile Row swagger, and for women a multicoloured version came in an innovative liquid fabric resembling pools of rainbow colour. §
