A DREAM ABOUT DISTANT WORLD’S AND FARAWAY CIVILISATIONS
Genny designs a journey through modern elegance in her FW 2020-21 collection.
For the Fall/Winter 2020-21 collection, Creative Director Sara Cavazza Facchini begins with the memory of the Orient Express, still today the epitome of a legendary journey with which everyone can identify. These carriages, with their sumptuous yet modern fabrics, an elegance of manners as well as poses, have been a personal luxury since the times of Agatha Christie, only for the few though coveted by many. An experience to be lived still today, without thinking of the dramas of the films by Sidney Lumet or Kenneth Branagh, but rather letting yourself be transported by parties and unforgettable moments, friends and loved ones with whom to celebrate special occasions.
Today’s destinations are still Istanbul, London, or Paris, but in this collection, they take us to imaginary times and dimensions. Like the writer Paul Theroux, who loves travelling by train, Sara Cavazza Facchini travels to the farthest East and explores oriental textiles with an evocative but precise style, to tell of a kind of beauty that is a fusion of reality and research. All the women’s business jackets are tailored to leave a feminine allure but also to astonish with couture details.
Whether she wears Art Deco brooches as fasteners, adorned with Suzanne Belperron-style buttons, or shows off braided rope necklaces with special Swarovski crystals, the Genny woman is not a prisoner of her seductive role but alternates between diva and business woman tastes and combinations. Her favorite garment is the jumpsuit, an elegant one-piece for those who want to enhance their silhouette by day as well as evening. Also, the tie becomes like a silk pendant embroidered with black and white floral patterns. The Prince of Wales checks, pinstripes and herringbones are softened with cuff bags, and the silks have Japanese flower and bud motifs. The precious jacquards reflect mythological scenes from Asian Empires or use metallic weaves to outline petals and graphic marks on the new kimono coats. The obi belts become bows, crossties, and knots to make each look original. Like the gloves that extend to the elbows but are wide, loose and dramatic.
Amidst the pure whiteness of the icy white, jade green or quartz pink, there are also beiges and sand colours as well as dresses in burgundy lamé or graphite and gold. Special attention goes to fabrics such as sustainable wools (created with Tencel and jojoba), either recycled or natural. The silk is organic and GOTS certified, i.e. compliant with the Global Organic Textile Standard. Even the denim undergoes a dyeing process that reduces water waste and does not harm the environment. Finally, the use of Alcantara gives an effect of eco-friendly suede, given the intrinsic qualities of the material.
A journey that leaves the usual “railroad tracks” of dressing to chart new trajectories of graceful femininity, flattering proportions and subtle exoticism. With the closing thought of hope and good luck given by the Asian fortune cookies, dedicated to fashion show guests and to all the people of China.
For many who are ignorant about, “Genny”, the brand was first launched in 1962 by Arnaldo and Donatella Girombelli. The collection soon gained acclaim and popularity among women, claiming its place among the top names in Italian fashion, also on account of the stylistic contribution of famous designers such as Gianni Versace, who became the Creative Director at Genny in 1973. The brand has belonged to Swinger International Group of Verona since 2011, which has chosen a new direction for Genny’s original style, focusing on aesthetics that feature flowing lines and a more feminine mood, achieved through painstaking attention to features and details. This transformation was made possible by Sara Cavazza Facchini, Artistic Director of the Maison since 2013, who has skilfully blended its heritage with a sense of timeless elegance, a genuine air of femininity and a contemporary mood achieved through the details.
Genny is also excited to announce the opening of a new store in Milan at the flamboyant Via Della Spiga. The concept for about 110 m2 space was designed by Sara Cavazza Facchini, the brand’s creative director, whose intention was to visualise the creative process that has always made any garment by Genny so special. White is a colour that the Maison adores, and here it acts as a leitmotiv throughout the boutique.
