“Beauty Beyond Borders”: Magliano Fall 2024

January 11, 2024

Creating newness within a super-palpable framework is the challenge Luca Magliano has chosen for himself. “This season bridges the realm of functionality with a romantic flair,” the designer opined post-show, adding that “the shapes, cuts and volumes form a poignant interplay of influences: an occasion to talk about classics, in a way they reshape our creative thinking of producing clothes while shining a light on an overextended femininity.” For Fall, he more than delivered on that front. The clothes, with their curving seams, drippy layers, and billowing hems, looked painstakingly his, but they looked fresh as well. The freshness came in the form of pins on jacket collars, candles worn as military ranks, likewise sweaters and jackets that took the lead in contemporary elegance — mimicking one another on a much lighter, fuss-free shift from past outings. More subtly, the shift was there in the form of hand-sewn details used to polish the avant-garde silhouettes into way, way beyond minimal offerings, as well as in the longline separates that he’s put on the runway before, which are now finally able to be taken further.

By Chidozie Obasi
Photos courtesy of Magliano

Magliano took a more freewheeling approach to accessories, too; you could picture a lot of the maxi bags and sculpturally-shaped earrings being rather adventurous and soft when juxtaposed with the sharpness of the garments’ cuts. But their sartorial feel was generally a good match for this designer’s spare, precise sensibility and his strength as a tailor. Magliano delivered in the suiting department, showing dagger, lean cuts in a neutral gamut of hues, occasionally decorating the hem of a puffy trench with a cinched waistline and a slightly futuristic touch.

Season after season, Magliano has garnered an impressive reputation for stealthy luxurious garb that happens to be loved crazily. So what’s the secret? A chic, dare-not-freak conundrum that tangentially reveals a lot about the frenzy pace of out times, as it happens. “I’m learning to appreciate craft as I go,” he says, pointing to the hot pursuit for consumption that’s speedily exacerbating the industry and the world at large.

“At the brand, I want clothes to breathe into the airwaves of longevity and craftsmanship as we first came to know it, as opposed to producing huge scales for the sake of taste.” Here, one can say that the buzz (or, more accurately, the high-frequency vibration) about Magliano lies in a paradox that’s shaping the contemporary fashion scene: nonsense fashion. However, at a time when seeking out creative anonymity in clothes is continuing to be, ahem, fashionable, his approach hits the full mark. “This season, we call this tailoring subversion a gentle sabotage of the shape, referencing the elegance of a wealth of women who have shaped Italian culture and whose allure stands the test of time.”

And while we’re at it, there were beautifully constructed coats to check out. Take one in a camel, with a loose waist, a subtle line and a vent in back. Or another cut into a narrow collarless early noughties shape, which makes a nice nod to a start of season without screeching maximalism. Or yet again, a body-hugging man’s overcoat that transcends trends. Fleeing from excess is no easy feat, but here’s hoping that this season’s tasteful practicality will turn into a blockbuster hit for Magliano, as his clothes nicely evolve each season.

Fashion

Nikolaj Hansson Joins Diadora Legacy as Creative Director

October 31, 2024

Diadora's appointment of Danish designer Nikolaj Hansson as Creative Director for its Legacy line signals a fresh chapter for the brand. Known for his Copenhagen-based label Palmes, Hansson’s connection to Diadora began in childhood, admiring the brand’s iconic boots on Premier League defenders. Now, his deep respect for Diadora’s heritage and his vision for merging craftsmanship with progressive design will shape the brand’s premium Legacy line.

His first collection launching in Fall/Winter 2025, will blend his design ethos with Diadora’s storied history, tapping into both the brand’s past and a modern sensibility. Diadora’s CEO, Claudio Bora, shares Nikolaj Hansson's vision of sport as an emotional, daily experience, aiming to create apparel that resonates with the spirit of sport itself. As Hansson says, "the falling in love was mutual," and together, they aim to reignite that spark in a new generation of fans.