September 20, 2017 6:36 AM
TRANSNATURAL
September 20, 2017 6:36 AM
Nicola Bacchilega has set an engaging precedent as a designer with a formative background in sculpture, and a yearning to create collections rooted in cultural honoring. Through a process of artistic fluency and intellectual flexibility, Bacchilega’s distinctive pieces comprise the timeless preservation of Italian craftsmanship, specialist embroidery and detailed executions, with an unparalleled dedication to the representation of his ideas. With past collections defining a new phase of beauty and igniting the senses through vivid colours and a textural appeal driven by the human form, his AW17 collection ‘No ID.’ is stylistically consistent, yet takes cultural referencing to new heights. He was able to seamlessly introduce a trope of escapism and fantasy permeated by a design stint to Marrakech. With the influences inherent in the design choices, colour palette and materials, Bacchilega has aesthetically re-imagined what it means to be romantic. The collection declares a soulful balance of traditional yet contemporary, reinforcing the presence of the Maghreb’s djellaba, yet evolving its silhouette into a structured wool and silk cape tunic. Contrasted with, are the horsehair skin leather high boots that are geometrically designed and embodied in red and blue. A brand not to be limited by social convention, AW17 delivers leather corsets; from a waist optimizing look, to breathing life into a padded jacket designed with a corset fastening. A “little black dress” is reinvented as an asymmetrical design with a dipping décolletage enhanced with draping.
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A sweetheart neckline accentuated with a sheer green crowning and the decorative contrast between intricate texture and delicate fabrics, enhance the romanticism of Nicola Bacchilega AW17. Even staple pieces, such as trousers, receive the Bacchilega charm of fluidity and elongated proportions, subtlety enhancing the shape without announcing the body. A stimulating spectrum of richly vivid colours, connoting the hidden jewels of the medina, command a presence throughout, “symbolizing celestial perfection and earthly passion, time and eternity, life and death, completeness and the profoundness of the mystery of life” explains Nicola. Millicent Rogers, a timeless symbol of fashion and beauty, who defined an alternative interpretation of opulence and elegance, became the designer’s muse for AW17. Bacchilega divulges that he “aims to elevate lifestyle aspects”, as embodied in Rogers. As a prerequisite to the AW17 shoot, Nicola Bacchilega utilised his otherworldly, culture-driven mindset to create a narrative he describes as, “Millicent Rogers went to Marrakech experimenting a folkloristic elegance”. The concept of the shoot is just as romantic and ethereal as the clothes themselves, with textures evidently salient: from prominent ruffles, to sand enveloping the floor. Dressed in some of the collection’s most covetable pieces, the model’s poses reflect the designer’s background in sculpture. Understanding the allure of ambiguity, these factors reinforce Nicola Bacchilega’s AW17 concept ‘Transnatural’, which he defines as, “Nothingness. The nature. Supernatural. Connection to the unknown. A woman will be confronted with the transformation of herself into transnatural elements.” With the desire to create for those who wish their style to be reflective of who they truly are, Nicola Bacchilega offers a collection that transcends beautiful clothes, to a lifestyle with magnetism that recapitulates the aesthetic of romanticism and contemporary culture.
Text by Nahuel Contreras
Photographer – Luca Anzalone
Born in Parma, 4th of May 1995. Luca moved to UK at the age of 19 to graduate in Photography at the Arts University Bournemouth, June 2017. Luca has also three years photography assisting experience in the London Fashion Industry. He is a well organised, responsible and functional individual, whose precise approach to work has yielded positive results. Determined, creative and result oriented with an attitude for producing high end images. Luca is currently working as freelance photographer in London.
Stylist – Andreea G. Radoi
Andreea G. Radoi is a London-based stylist with a predilection for visual research and concept development. She divides her time between assisting various freelance stylists/fashion editors and pursuing personal projects.
Team credits:
Photographer: Luca Anzalone
Stylist: Andreea G. Radoi
Set designer: Hella Keck
Set designer assistant: Amie Paternoster
Hair: Delphine Bonnet
Make-up: Mattie White
Styling assistant: Ignacio De Tiedra
Film: Paolo Simi
Film assistant: Stefano Venturi
Producer: Sonya Nasir
Fashion writer: Nahuel Contreras
Model Bella Tilbury @ IMG Models
Coordinated by Sara Sozzani Maino
The brands:
3.1 Phillip Lim Alan Crocetti Arlette Ess Atsuko Kudo Christopher Kane Dinosaur Designs Elliot Rhodes Falke Malone Souliers Manolo Blahnik Nabil Nayal Nicola Bacchilega Theory Tibi Toga
