Etro: Life Is A Circus
By Michelle Taylor
Photos by Giovanni Pucci

MILAN, Jan 20, 2004/ FW/ --- Life is a circus, and we are the players in the board game, moving backwards and forwards in the hope to achieve nobility and equilibrium of mind and soul, careful though not to forget the one golden rule, as the Etro press notes state ‘the person who is determined to win at any cost will lose, and the person who plays for fun will be a sure winner.’

Colour is life, and Kean Etro is perhaps a maestro in colour obsession. The 2004/05 autumn winter collection in menswear is anything but dull, it is however gentlemanly in cuts and has achieved its goal of turning heads and making people smile.

His catwalk is a 90 metre long board game based on the 16th century Goose Game (gioco dell’Oca) and the players are clowns, magicians, Asterisks and Obelix, Robin Hood and Friar Tuck to mention just a few.

Imagination pushes us to do all sorts of things, so why not take the compulsive out of fashion and put it into the everyday, after all, state of mind helps in conquering the negativity and greyness of the metropolis.

The make believe is rounded on edges of jackets, padded, embroider and multi ethnical and multi era in influences from Mexico to Napoleon to the Gothic. Patterns are eccentric in plaid and quilting and pinstripes for all shapes and sizes.

Fabrics range from cord to velvet, wool to classic Anglo-Saxon fabrics.

The new bag is round and ball like, either with or without strap and tie is welcomed back to the male wardrobe.

The journey ends, smiles all round and it was definitely the most fun and colourful show of the week, lightening up the idea that fashion is not only a money making gold mine, but is in fact full of diversity, laughter and not necessarily always to be taken seriously.

Etro

Etro

Etro

Etro