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Pitti Uomo 92: Federico Curradi celebrates relaxed luxury in Florence
After Milan, it's a homecoming for Italian designer Federico Curradi, one of the guests of honour at Florence's Pitti Uomo 92, where he presented his latest menswear collection on Wednesday, June 14. The venue was a neo-Renaissance building overlooking the river Arno, home to the Bardini Museum, where the talented designer unveiled a men's collection that is as light as air.
After working for other labels for twenty years, Curradi, 41, launched his own high-end menswear label last year, using locally sourced fabrics and natural dyes. The label currently has 25 multibrand clients, including Parisian concept stores L’Eclaireur and Archive 18-20.
This, Curradi's fourth collection, is an instant hit thanks to its nonchalant elegance and charming colour palette, with its array of soft shades and ash hues inspired by the Renaissance, from sage green to blue-grey and sienna.
The models tread the catwalk barefoot, holding sneakers in their hands, some of the shoes tied together. "I wanted to tell a Florentine story. I imagined a craftsman who split his time between work and his passion, historic Florentine football, with a touch of romanticism on the one hand and something of the superman on the other," Federico Curradi told FashionNetwork.com.
Think drawstring trousers rolled up at the waist, and jackets and gilets tied with laces. The designer chose natural fabrics such as silk, cotton and linen, working with subtle, hand-painted shading to create marble effects. Loose jackets are layered over frayed madras shirts that are worn unbuttoned over lightweight knitted tops and raw-edged bermudas. It's all very ethereal.
"I started out when I was very young, as an apprentice to Florentine artisans. At 20, I designed my first collection in New York, which was very successful. When Ermanno Scervino asked me to design its first men's collection, I simply stopped working on my own label", said Federico Curradi. He then was in charge of Roberto Cavalli’s menswear collections and took over the same role for Gilmar in 2006. In 2013, he was appointed the menswear Creative Director of Iceberg, the Italian fashion group's premier brand.
"My clothes are wearable and recognisable, with a focus on lightness and in-depth fabric research," concluded the designer, who in the last few seasons has also collaborated with sportswear label Peuterey.
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