I WENT TO A BJÖRK CONCERT EARLIER THIS MONTH AND HER INTELLIGENT, LIFE AFFIRMING ENERGY MADE ME KIND OF EMBARRASSED OF MY OWN MOPEY ADOLESCENT PESSIMISM... AND HERS WASN’T A DISNEY ESCAPIST OBLIVIOUSNESS, BUT A CONCERNED AND THOUGHTFUL TRUST IN MOVING FORWARD. SHE EXPRESSED HOPE. I SUPPOSE I EXPRESS RESIGNATION. MY DEFAULT SETTING IS TO PROPOSE A MORE SOMBER SOBRIETY RESPECTFUL OF AN AILING AND STRUGGLING WORLD OBSERVING A WAR. MY ENTHUSIASM IS MORE TEMPERED AND SUSPICIOUS. BUT I TRY TO EXPRESS THE HOPE FOR JOY WHILE CAUTIONING EMPATHY AND RESPONSIBILITY. CONSIDERING JOY A MORAL OBLIGATION, I PROPOSE A STARK ELEGANCE, MOSTLY IN DRAMA QUEEN BLACK AND GENTLE GREY, BUT ALSO MOMENTS OF TENDER PINK AND EXULTANT RED. STRICT, STRUCTURED SKIRTS AND TROUSERS IN LEATHER OR OVERDYED DENIM ARE HIGH WAISTED AND NARROW AND LONG. THESE ARE PAIRED WITH MODEST JERSEY OR SUMPTUOUS LEATHER TOPS THAT WRAP AND STRETCH AND DRAPE AROUND THE UPPER TORSO. CROPPED VARIATIONS OF LEATHER BIKER JACKETS ALSO REVEAL AND DEFINE THE WAIST, SOME WITH SCULPTED SHOULDERS THAT DISTORT AND CORRUPT THE FIGURE INSTEAD OF DECORATE IT. ALL OUR JERSEYS ARE INGOTS CERTIFIED ORGANIC COTTON BY A MILL LOCATED 20 KM FROM OUR HOME BASE IN CONCORDIA, ITALY LEATHER GLOVE STOLES ARE MADE BY A 5TH GENERATION FAMILY COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1923 AND SITUATED IN THE CENTER OF NAPLES, ITALY. EACH STOLE GLOVE TAKES NO LESS THAN 25 STAGES TO PRODUCE, CARRIED OUT STRICTLY BY HAND. OUR CALF LEATHER IS VEG TANNED IN THE SOLOFRA AREA OUTSIDE OF NAPLES, ITALY. I HAVE WORKED WITH THIS TANNERY EVERY SEASON SINCE I STARTED PRODUCING MY BRAND IN ITALY 22 YEARS AGO AND IT IS STILL RUN TODAY BY THE 3RD GENERATION OF THE SAME FAMILY THAT STARTED IT IN 1966. LAST SEASON’S DUVET DONUTS ARE TRANSFORMED INTO SPRING CONFECTIONS IN SILK ORGANZA AND ALSO A TULLE PRODUCED OUTSIDE OF MILANO, ITALY, FROM ECONYL®, A RECYCLED YARN MADE IN ITALY USING 100% WASTE MATERIAL THAT WOULD OTHERWISE POLLUTE OUR LAND AND WATERS. SOME DONUTS AND JACKETS ARE GEOMETRICALLY TRACED WITH FRILLED LAYERED STRIPS OF DENIMS THAT ARE STONEWASHED, OVER-DYED, WAXED, FRAYED, AND SEWN ONTO A NYLON MESH BASE. OUR DENIM WASH HOUSE IN VENETO, ITALY, USES ONLY ZDHC-CERTIFIED PRODUCTS AND UTILIZES A WATER PURIFYING PROCESS THAT ENABLES THEM TO RECYCLE A LARGE PORTION OF THE WATER USED. I MENTION OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY NOT OUT OF VIRTUOUSNESS– WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO– BUT AS AN EXAMPLE THAT WE CAN ALL START SOMEWHERE. THE LIGHTEST HABOTAI SILK IS CUT INTO TUNICS AND HOODED ROBES THAT FILL LIKE SAILS AND FLOAT AROUND THE FIGURE IN CONSTANT MOVEMENT. THESE ARE WORN OVER THE SIMPLEST VOLUMINOUS GOWNS OR JUMPSUITS IN SILK GAZAR THAT CRISPLY STAND AWAY FROM THE BODY LIKE SUMPTUOUSLY IMPOSING TENTS. HUN’S TRAVEL BAG, NOW WITH OUR CERBERUS HOOK CLOSURE, IS WORN SLUNG ACROSS THE BODY, BECOMING ANOTHER DRAPED ELEMENT IN A FEW SHORT DRAPED BUBBLE SILHOUETTES. LAST SEASON’S PLATFORMED SPLINT BOOTS ARE SPLIT OPEN TO CREATE SANDALS, EFFECTIVELY STRAPPING LEATHER PILLOWS TO THE ANKLE. DIANA ROSS ALLOWED ME TO DO A REMIX OF HER MOST RECENTLY RELEASED SONG, WHICH I IMAGINED AS A HYMN, WITH THE REPEATED REFRAIN “I STILL BELIEVE IN LOVE” AS A SIMPLE BUT DETERMINED EXPRESSION OF FAITH AND HOPE. CASTING AMC CASTING (CLM) HAIR DUFFY (STREETERS) MAKEUP MAC COSMETICS AND DANIEL SALLSTROM (MA WORLD GROUP) PRODUCTION LA MODE EN IMAGES MUSIC EXCLUSIVE MIX OF ‘I STILL BELIEVE’ BY DIANA ROSS