No 21 S/S 2015

Milan-based designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua has got the market covered when it comes to matriarchal gear amped up with a dose of sex appeal. It's an unlikely combination but one that Dell'Acqua has finely honed at his label No. 21. This season he reprised his famous elderly-home slippers but constructed them in stiff, couture-worthy satin that was tied into a dramatic debutante bow over the foot. The same bow motif was applied to naughtier - and more sprightly - high-heeled mule versions that gave a sassy twist to high-waisted lace pencil skirts worn with crisp poplin shirts. Dell'Acqua's workmanship is always a superb example of why the effort and cost to continue to 'make in Italy' is worth it: his crystal crusted corsages and squiggly floral beading beamed with top quality grandeur, even when they slithered over poor fabrics like army khaki or black and slacker red wool plaids.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
JJ Martin
-
Javier's, a new cathedral-inspired restaurant in downtown LA, offers a divine take on Mexican cuisine
At the restaurant's newest location, discovery lies around every corner – and on every plate
-
We'd happily move into this super-stylish New York architecture office
Michael K Chen’s newly expanded Midtown workspace is a calling card for his intuitive style and inclusive approach
-
The Macbeth, an icon of indie sleaze, goes from grotty to gastro
An East End legend meets Portuguese small plates in Jamie Allan’s ambitious revival of a beloved Hackney watering hole
-
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 exhibition celebrates 20 years of Armani Privé: ‘Haute couture is fashion when it becomes art’
Hosted at the Tadao Ando-designed Armani/Silos, ‘Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture’ displays an expansive collection of the Italian designer’s showstopping haute couture creations
-
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 A/W 2022: Prada to Bottega Veneta
In this extended report, Scarlett Conlon reports live from the Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as they take place on the runway
-
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