New Classicism by Erika Cavallini A/W2020

It’s now been six years since Erika Cavallini first opened her first flagship store in Milan.  That came five years after she first launched her eponymous fashion label.  All of which serves as a reminder that the success that the Cavallini brand now enjoys was built on the back of paying real dues since the very beginning.  2009, when the brand was first launched, was also the height of the global economic crash – a seismic financial downturn that hit Italy almost harder than any other country in Europe.  As a debut brand in that environment only real creative talent and design prowess would have been able to withstand that kind of financial turmoil – the survival of the fittest philosophy in other words.  Eleven years later and Cavallini has just shown another new collection at Milan Fashion week for A/W2020.  And even to the fashion veterans, there’s still a really compelling story to be told here.

For the moment that story is firmly focused on the new collection for the winter.  ‘Show, don’t tell’ is the maxim in the film industry that describes how the best stories are presented and the new collection shows exactly why the Erika Cavallini brand is now the major player in global luxury fashion it has become.  Once again we were treated to the beautiful, long feminine lines that makes the brand so special.  This was coupled to the kind of comfort and wearability that is sometimes relegated to playing second fiddle to style and spectacle in some collections.

The long flowing dresses are a perfect example of this elusive dynamic, whether it was the calf-length, off-white pleated dress that will forever create new shapes as you walk through a gentle breeze or the ankle-length, sleeveless, subtle lemon or shiny mauve creations tied at the neck halter style, creativity and comfort are in always in perfect harmony at Cavallini.

Other ensembles show Cavallini mixing true modernity into their sharp tailoring.  The double-breasted overcoat that is luxurious black leather on one half and sharp wool check on the other announces its intentions from a long, long way off.  As does the crisp shirt-dress that is sleeveless on one half and completed by a contrasting black panel fastened on the opposite hip.

Those long lines are also on display in the tailoring.  The simple long-sleeved, zipped ribbed top tucked into pencil slim trousers creates an almost impossibly sharp silhouette while the single-breasted, single button suit in subdued pink adds a new twist to a familiar look with cutouts at the shoulders and patch pockets across the chest.

Best of all?  The one-shoulder, smooth leather top in burgundy with matching boot-cut trousers.  All the elements we love about Cavallini distilled into one deceptively simple look.  Throughout it all, and even when experiencing the past collections, there’s always the feeling that the Cavallini team is not just designing for themselves, they’re also designing for the types of women they know personally – discerning and artistic but also professional and busy.  Sometimes it’s just a welcome public service for women to know that no matter what they select from the racks this winter it will always work with their own sensibilities and lifestyles, not just for the odd special occasion.

For most people who know about fashion design that’s the sort of ‘service’ that will tell you this story is set to successfully continue for many, many more decades to come.

For more on Erika Cavallini click here.

Click here to see our Milan Fashion Week round-up.