Guests arrived at the Missoni show to discover a beach towel on each seat — not to dry themselves after the downpours marring Milan Fashion Week (although many did), but to cue up the desk-to-deck-chair conceit of the collection.
Missoni has been gathering steam lately with resort and residence projects in places like Bodrum and Bali, and it’s had a beachwear line since forever.
And so it was clever of creative director Alberto Caliri to build his spring effort from bikini bottoms, boyish shorts with rolled-up hems and tiny cheerleader skirts, creating a leggy foundation for sparkly swing tops, cozy blousons and meaty cardigans in sequin-dappled zigzags.
He layered on cropped trenchcoats, military jackets and pinstriped blazers, but it was the house patterns that gave these ensembles their zing. The collection was young, spirited and made you long for the seaside.
Caliri might also make Missoni a contender in the accessories category with this show. Each model toted two or three bags, including quilted, chain-handled flap bags in the house prints, plus fetching bucket bags, roomy totes and cute satchels, in leather, suede or textiles. All of them looked terrific, and the larger carriers contained rolled-up Missoni beach towels.
Having worked at Missoni since 1998, and had experience in its homewares, knits and textiles, Caliri is charged with leading the Italian brand in a lifestyle direction.
Barring inclement weather, he’s definitely got golden hour covered.