Antonio Marras, a designer known for his exploration of internal contrasts, presents his Resort 2025 collection as a captivating fairy tale set within an enchanted garden. He seeks to escape the confines of his own identity, embracing the contradictions that make him whole. Marras’s inspiration stems from the Hanbury Botanical Gardens in Liguria, where English philanthropist Thomas Hanbury cultivated a cosmopolitan oasis of diverse plants. This collection, titled “Fior di Sardegna,” draws upon the beauty and power of nature, echoing Emily Dickinson’s sentiment that being a flower is a profound responsibility.
Marras’s love for storytelling is evident in this collection, which he imagines dressing the first Italian woman to earn a botany degree, Eva Mameli Calvino, mother of the renowned writer Italo Calvino. The collection features prints derived from scanned herbarium specimens, interrupted and expanded by solid colors, blurring the lines between masculine and feminine styles. This interplay of contrasting elements is further emphasized through clean lines, 1970s references, refined embroidery, check patterns, stripes, damask fabrics, and pink-accented parkas.
Romanticism, sometimes androgynous, becomes a tool for expressing lightness and delicacy. From flowing chiffon dresses to sturdy military fabrics, from tulle details to menswear tailoring and sequins, from knitwear to couture techniques, Marras embraces the inconsistency that defines his identity. A bold addition to this collection are the sneakers, a modern touch that adds a layer of unexpectedness. The collection celebrates nature’s ability to create harmony from imperfections, a message that resonates deeply with Marras’s own artistic vision.
