W: Maximiliano Dubois
The Istituto Secoli 2023 Graduate Fashion Show, titled "WHERE HERE," served as a definitive reminder of why Milan remains the global capital of tailoring. Staged during the prestigious Fashion Graduate Italia event, the show was a masterclass in the "Secoli Method"—that legendary Italian rigor where pattern-making is treated as an exact science. However, the 2023 cohort proved they are more than just technical experts; they are emotional storytellers, transforming rigid sartorial structures into fluid narratives of identity and heritage.
The runway’s emotional heartbeat was found in the "Love Letter From Sicily" collection by Gian Gavino Solinas and Gabriele Fraggetta. In a stunning tribute to Mediterranean beauty, the duo balanced the grit of revolutionary history—citing the Stonewall Riots—with the delicate craftsmanship of the Italian South. The collection featured impeccable "Made in Italy" signatures, including intricate crochet and embroidery that felt modern rather than folkloric. By deconstructing the traditional male wardrobe and stripping away its most "constrictive" elements, they offered a vision of masculinity that is both fragile and fiercely free.
This theme of deconstruction was echoed in the "Designer to Watch" segment, a highlight of the 40th-anniversary celebrations. Eight standout talents presented capsule collections that acted as manifestos for the future of the industry. Notable among them were Anna and Silvia Cristofolini, whose work emphasized the school's shift toward a "contemporary mood" without sacrificing its heritage of perfect fit. The show also leaned into "phygital" innovation, with collections like Essere non è da me challenging human stereotypes through multifaceted, incoherent styles that celebrated the "non-stereotypical" human form.
Ultimately, the Istituto Secoli 2023 showcase was a triumph of purposeful design. While other schools may chase fleeting digital trends, Secoli’s graduates demonstrated an obsession with the life of a garment—how it moves, how it's built, and how it respects the environment. From the sustainable denim collaborations with Candiani to the poetic use of deadstock fabrics, the message was clear: the future of luxury isn't just about what we see on a screen, but the soul-deep connection between the hand of the maker and the body of the wearer.
SARA DEL BENE | Choose Carefully The Words You (don't) Say
The protagonists of the collection are words; words that explain the meanings of others. In an attempt to eliminate this tautology, the designer draws inspiration from "THE FAIRY TALE," a text by Gino Strada, which teaches children the importance of using words: even the most unconscious terms must be selected, calibrated, and used by a conscious mind to ensure a level of understanding of others that goes beyond listening. To discuss words, Gino Strada chose the concept of the fairy tale, which the designer explored by creating a reminder to promote their proper use, an imagery that encourages children to choose the right words to avoid their deafening presence.
ANNA & SILVIA CRISTOFOLINI | R_evolution
Evolution, gradual change through the observation of how our daily decisions
affect our being. In a changing reality, we seek our stability, even though everything else around us is perpetually shifting. In this journey, there are no isolated parts, there is no "me" and a "you," but rather there is a "We," our visual journey through the revolution of the unconscious that corresponds to a moving sea. Revolution, that energy necessary to understand what still appears fragmentary, using shapes and colours to visualize the unpredictable world we live in. The "We" contains the complexity that unites us and makes us participants in our lives. We are much more than we think we are, we are not alone, we are not born alone, and we will not leave alone. "U.S. In the Infinite Ocean."
GABRIELE FABRIS | Performing A Ritual
Gabriele Fabris's men's collection originated in Armenian director Sergei
Parajanov's film "The Color of Pomegranates." The work is characterized by an enveloping atmosphere, visual richness, and extraordinary colors. The scenes are steeped in tradition and symbolism; the gestures, performed with liturgy and solemnity, have a sacred nature. The designer's interest was based on the holistic echo of the images: in the work's narrative, a ritualistic performance seems to pervade the everyday. The multiple roles played by actress Sofiko Ciaureli, both as a man and a woman, allowed both stylistic characteristics to be combined in a tailored men's collection where some pieces were made entirely by hand.
GIOVANNI FOTIA | Transition
"Transition" indicates a transitory moment. The collection draws inspiration from three elements, through which volumes, textures, and fabrics develop: Sicily
as the designer's place of origin; London as a place of rupture with the past and the beginning of a new present; and the artist Agostino Bonalumi, who, with his sculptures, visually and conceptually evokes something static and at the same time dynamic, abstractly encapsulating what the term "transition" seeks to convey. Part of Shapes Development, It begins with the artist's references, using slats as a "technical" support to recreate volumes that recall his works, inserted into different contexts such as jersey, or firm fabrics like wool or cotton, or even details reminiscent of peasant fabrics, mixed with strong colors like Bonalumi's yellow, merging with the irreverent aesthetic of punk. Torn, stained fabrics, with a history to shout out.