“A Legacy of Style” is the inspiration that accompanied
STEFANO RICCI into Gabriele d’Annunzio’s world at the Vittoriale degli
Italiani, which is transformed for this occasion into an ideal environment to
present the new Spring/Summer 2017 collection, hosted by the Vittoriale
Foundation and its President, Giordano Bruno Guerri.
It is a voyage into the timeless elegance of the father
of Italian style par excellence. The Vate’s vestiarii opened like an
enchantment, permitting the STEFANO RICCI menswear collection to reside as
easily within the Prioria’s rooms as well as on the austere and solemn estate
grounds, designed by the Poet.
It is a balanced exchange, a converging weave of
coherence and significance that united these two worlds. The explicitly Italian
production displays a penchant for beauty, a meticulous attention to detail, an
inherent quality and the harmony within each creation.
“Gabriele d'Annunzio was defined as the Arbiter
elegantiarum. The photographs of him at the Vittoriale are a hymn to a style
that is pure inspiration. I wish to express my profound gratitude to the
president of the Foundation for granting us this privilege,” states Stefano
Ricci, who has dedicated a reinterpretation of a complete outfit to the Vate,
which will go on to enrich the D’Annunzio Segreto Museum.
The three-piece suit is made of SR Super 150’ wool and
cashmere; its particular curved lines are inspired by the Poet’s clothes, and
offer a pleasant and dynamic vision of contemporary elegance. The suit’s
characteristic rounded cuts are found in the pleats and in the lapels of the
jacket, in the five-button waistcoat and in the shirt collar, which has been
made entirely out of exclusive STEFANO RICCI cotton. The formal care and
craftsmanship of fine tailoring is revealed in the unique silk linings. The
profile of the pants evokes the flavours of the fashion of the time; with
iconic slant pockets, stitched pleats, and a buttoned fly.
Indeed, this is not a simple tribute to Gabriele
d’Annunzio, but a project that pursues his path, begun from a dialogue with
nature as well as art, and continuing into the abode of dreams.
“We began with natural geometry, passing through tributes
to the Masters of the Arts, and today we put our creations into distinct
contexts. This same experience happened with the Sammezzano Castle, the Antico
Setificio Fiorentino, and then passed idyllically to the Casa degli Italiani”
says Filippo Ricci, Creative Director of the Florentine Maison founded in 1972
by his parents.
For the presentation of the new collection, Stefano Ricci
wished to take his guests (100, arriving from all over the world) and
rediscover Gabriele d'Annunzio’s home, within which the models of the
Florentine fashion house enlivened the poet’s rooms, embellishing the
atmosphere in the manner of d'Annunzio with the Royal Eagle fragrances.
The evening then developed alongside the Torre degli
Archivi, where a gramophone from the ‘20s played the original 78rpm disks,
those that the master of the estate so cherished.
Within a dialogue between the original outfits worn by
Gabriele d'Annunzio and the homage that Stefano Ricci devised for the occasion,
Giordano Bruno Guerri extended an introductory greeting all the while dressed
for the occasion as the Poet of our times.
To cap off the evening was a dinner on board the Nave
Puglia, displaying ‘20s style tableware, a champagne fountain and a menu
entrusted to the hands of Da Vittorio.
STEFANO RICCI further supports the Vittoriale with the
restoration of the Sala del Mappamondo, and of the fabrics within the Sala
della Musica.
