Missoni Fall 2019
Missoni Fall 2019

“Stepping into the blue of a chroma key. The color allows the change of the background however one prefers, teleporting characters across eras and places, in a flip,” the press notes at Missoni began.

My first thoughts – is this going to be a sci-fi/fantasy-inspired fashion show? Teleporting was popularized by Star Trek while “chroma” is the term used for the magic system in “Warbreaker,” a fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson.

The next line of the press notes answered my question – “It’s a stargate, if you like. The Missoni chroma key is a door that connects different moments in the history of a fashion house that’s been active for more than six decades and has endlessly explored every path of knitwear.”

Oh, thank goodness I was wrong in my assumptions because what followed was a well edited collection that is on trend but also transcends time.

As it turned out, “stepping into the blue” refers to the blue catwalk which connected the present time to the mid-seventies when volumes were long, lean and liquid. It was a time when fashion danced around the body.

Inspired by the maison’s own archives, Angela Missoni then sent updated silhouettes of the famed high waists and enveloping coats. Flowing capes and hoods added to the elegance of the elongated torso. A wardrobe of jacquard coats, capes, jumpsuits, suits and dresses, put together with enveloping moves.

Remember the glitter, the shine and the sparkle that defined the era thanks to the movie Rhinestone Cowboy and the imitable Cher’s red carpet wardrobe by Bob Mackie? They were not represented in the show, but their spirit was.

Bonnets and Pierrot collars were seen but brought to decisive proportions. The sparkle of lamè carries in the men’s wardrobe, where shine, suiting and wide pants rule. Color blocks and blown-up jacquards stimulate the gaze in strict yet gentle ways.

By the way, did I say that I was wrong about the blue door not being a magic system? Well, I need to correct myself again. This collection is magical.

“The chroma key allows everything to come back. As such, it knows no nostalgia.”

Photos courtesy of Missoni

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