BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

I adore the rich, sumptuous sensibility of Kean Etro who designs the menswear collections for the family company started by his father Gimmo Etro in 1968. Known for paisley and a certain ethnic sense, Kean has expanded this motif over the years while managing to stay true to the original spirit of the house, but this collection felt like a return to a certain kind of tradition. Fashion journalist Luke Leitch was at the Etro show and reported on the stage dressing for this FW 20-21 collection:

"Balefully staring from the walls of this garage showspace were the subjects of scores of old portraits; these included some well-off officers from the 1910s, a girl with a bob and a red kimono lying in an art deco frame, an Edwardian lady wandering through a flower meadow in white lace, and a group of late 19th century hunters. Just down the bench Veronica Etro said all of these had been collected by her father, Gerolamo, partly for pleasure and partly for professional reasons. 'Some of them are of our ancestors and others he bought because he liked the clothes. See that woman with the paisley sash? He likes uniforms, writing, and military… I like that they are here today looking down on us.' Gerolamo’s collection was handed down to Veronica and her siblings, brother Kean included."

Kean, whose inspiration and mood boards often feature spiritual themes, said the collection is about ancestry...both personal to him and more broadly cultural: "call them family ties, tribal ties." And there is definitely a spirit of the past running through this collection. Like the men in the portraits on the walls of the showspace, outfits featured tall boots which echoed equestrianism or military uniforms, touches of Westernwear, and gorgeous, traditional overcoats and tailoring. Rich prints (with, yes, a paisley here and there!), and blanket wraps and ponchos hit me just right. I often wear outfits that look just like these...

https://www.etro.com/