It all starts with a Renaissance tapestry. But not just any old tapestry, this particular fairy tale work featuring a unicorn is the inspiration behind Gianluca Saitto’s 2019 winter collection, in every aspect including its name, Unicorn. Lovers of vintage artefacts may be interested to know that this is one of seven panels that make up a series of tapestries made between 1495 and 1505 and dedicated to the hunt of the unicorn.
Saitto takes the unicorn out of the tapestry and transfers it to a soft silk kaftan, replacing the enchanted wood with a timeless Tuscan Estate, the splendid Capezzana.
The colour palette starts, ça va sans dire, with the green undergrowth and passes to peacock tones with touches of animalier fantasy, gold and silver shimmers and ends in contrasting shades of black and white. Silk, always a favourite of the couturier, dominates the collection for its fluidity, complemented by lace, velvet worked in a typical Renaissance style, feathers that act as ruffles and adorn the sleeves and handmade gemstone embroideries – the true calling card of Gianluca Saitto.
The gown takes on a medieval feel with golden lace flowing over the sleeves to open up like a flower, and a matching stole in green. The drapes of the long train, with a Greek neckline and belt over the hips, are reflected in a delicate antique gold, almost silver, and floral print.
The intensely feminine high-waisted skirt in white brocade on a black background, would be the perfect match for a wide-sleeved shirt with a low, gathered shoulder, just like in a Cesare Borgia painting. The study of the Renaissance sleeve can also be seen in the detail of the opening along the sleeve itself, fastened by buttons that allow the opening to be seen: the modern reinterpretation of an outfit worn by one of the Raphaelean ladies.
The tributes to the courts of that period continue with the fabric jacket featuring puffed sleeves and tube cuffs with a row of fabric-covered buttons. Fit for royalty, the collection also includes a regal fur-lined cape with an exterior of golden embroidery on a dark background.
The collection is completed by two other sixteenth-century themes: the contrast of vertical striped colours, in this case black and white, reminiscent of the uniform worn by the Pope’s guards and designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti. And the Saracen-inspired trousers that reflect the dichotomy between the Christianity and Islam of that time, which turned in favour of the former on the stage of the island of Malta for dominion over the Mediterranean.
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by Lucrezia Doria