First things first: Sunnei, give Fabian from Sheffield a raise right now.
An undisclosed Sunnei team member who introduced himself only by his first name and provenance, his voice carried the whole show in another clever and fun concept developed by Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina.
Initially, as per Sunnei pre-show tradition, his voiceover declared a series of short statements — some ironic, some with a deeper undertone, in the brand’s signature ambiguity — with the purpose of killing time while all guests arrive and take their seats.
“Sunnei is the opportunity to not hate fashion — Ancora [or ‘not yet,’ in English]” was one of the sentences he voiced. It poked fun at the Italian byword chosen by Sabato De Sarno to mark his buzzy debut at Gucci, which occurred just a couple of hours before the Sunnei show.
Other statements mocked fashion week chit-chat — “Getting here was a nightmare: It’s always so hard to find a taxi in Milan” — invited people to live the moment rather than scroll on their phone, or simply teased what was about to happen, alerting the crowd that “at Sunnei shows you’re never just a guest.” Anticipation ran high, as Rizzo and Messina have offered the fashion audience new and exciting takes on shows through the years.
Interaction eventually started the moment staff members handed envelopes to guests seated in the two grandstands facing a minimal black set. In addition to Fabian’s script, each envelope included three score paddles, which the audience was invited to use every time a model stepped on the podium in front of them.
At first vacillating, then gaining confidence, attendees obliged, rating a collection that was a redux of Rizzo and Messina’s core references — from activewear to the ‘90s — but magnified in its contrasts of volumes and enhanced in layering.
Jersey tops with cut-outs donned a retro-athletic vibe and a shrunken silhouette in the upper part of the body, and were paired with extra roomy pants for a heightened effect. Sunnei’s signature stripes abounded on graphic dresses with a rubberized effect or more summery ones in cotton and cut in maxi proportions.
New incursions included breezy pieces like lightweight shirts and a multi-layered silk dress with crystal embroidered heart-shaped embellishment, that lent a refreshing delicate touch here and there and scored among the highest ratings.
Overall, the show lacked the explosive energy of last season’s stage-diving concept but not the ever-present social commentary. “When political correctness is turned into a moral police, sharing your own opinion in front of others becomes a challenging act,” read the press notes.
In truth, there are multiple angles the concept could be seen through: from reflecting on the instant and simplified way opinions are formed and judgments are thrown about nowadays, to how this white noise often overshadows the creations. Or maybe, Rizzo and Messina were interested in none of the above.
“I’m sure everyone wants to tell something about the collection — but is there anyone who wants to hear it?” proclaimed Fabian’s voiceover before the show. For the sake of this writer, hopefully there still is.
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