Massimo Alba opened his seasonal manifesto with a quote by the painter Balthus, which perfectly encapsulated his design philosophy: ‘One must resist trends, respect at all costs what one believes is valid for oneself, and cultivate what I have always defined as the aristocratic taste of not pleasing.’
Alba’s latest collection embodies this belief. It is a departure from the structured silhouettes and body-conscious garments that have dominated fashion in recent years. Instead, Alba offers an unstructured, free-flowing line that respects the individual wearer’s body and allows for multiple styling options.
The collection is built on a palette of muted colors, inspired by the seasonality of nature. Linen and hemp, two of Alba’s favorite natural fibers, are heavily featured. ‘It is a noble fiber with a richness to it, and a very particular touch,’ said Alba of hemp. ‘It is also special to me for what it has represented in the history of Italy and the world.’
Alba’s commitment to art and literature is evident throughout the collection. The showroom was covered in paper cutouts and extracts from books, and the designer created a fanzine to visually present the new campaign. ‘It is a format that binds precisely to an idea of democracy, of something that can belong to everyone, that you could also find on the streets,’ said Giacomo Cabrini, Alba’s content manager and digital art director.
Massimo Alba’s latest collection is a celebration of individuality and personal style. It is a reminder that fashion should be about expressing oneself, not conforming to trends. As Alba himself said, ‘Everything feels very unstructured and far from the body, leaving a margin of space.’ This space is for the wearer to fill with their own personality and style.
