Schools should they remain open? Should learning be done remotely? Lorenzo Serafini, the designer and founder of Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, put to good use his observations of the pandemic, in particular the impact the health emergency is having on schools and students, who are forced to digitally interact and be socially distanced. He’s been thinking of all the experiences that today’s young people aren’t getting, going to school being one of them. ‘’It’s an homage to the memories they can’t have’’, he said.
He also thought wistfully back to his days as a student. ‘’School, a place of culture that forms generations through debate, enlightenment, and social interactions, is a place that enables young people to grow and develop’’, he wrote in a press release for the virtual show. ‘’I thought back to the encounters and conflicts I faced during those years and realised how fundamental they were in shaping my character and the expression of my creativity’’. And his collection for Fall/Winter 2021 was all about his own memories and his observation but the collection was less about Serafini’s nostalgia for his school days than it is about bringing youthful athleticism and eclecticism to Philosophy.
Telling the story of models-turned-students inside an imaginary Philosophy college, today’s lineup featured pleated mini kilts; colorful striped and printed leggings; embroidered sweatshirts with Victorian collars; felt wool cardigans which had been doodled on with thread; frocks decorated with pages of history (as well as bold-shouldered majorette-inspired sequin prom dresses); and varsity letter knits in bright yellows and cobalts. The designer revisited also varsity sweaters, embroidering the brand’s initials, which he said conveniently match with Princeton’s, or a coat of arms inspired by an archival document. That school spirit palette was drawn from Serafini’s memories of his own time as a student at Naba, the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan. ‘’When I saw the clothing worn by the models, I realised that these strong colours can radiate more today than ever, and I decided to make them the protagonists of the collection’’, Lorenzo Serafini.