Priscavera AW19
“I’ve always been interested in the definition of elegance” says 29-year-old Prisca Vera Franchetti. The Italian-born designer moved to New York aged 21, shortly after graduating from Barcelona’s design school. Four years later, she launched her eponymous label Priscavera, a brand that uses fashion to redefine classic European sophistication with a pop-culture twist. “The trashiest thing can be elegant when it’s done in the right way,” Franchetti insists. “I like to play with that.” With slinky flame-emblazoned slip dresses and wispy mesh tops in neon pink and green, Franchetti balances boldness with fragility to create soft yet striking fashion that leaves an impression on everyone who encounters it. “I feel like my femininity is a less delicate one” she explains, “I aspire to dress women that are more badass than sweet.” Considering Priscavera fans include the likes of Petra Collins, it seems Franchetti’s dreams have quickly become a reality.
When I visit her modest studio in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Franchetti quickly explains her outfit. “I’m a jeans and t-shirt girl usually,” she admits, “but I also really love to dress up.” It’s reflected in the clothes she designs, which switch between refined casual and effortlessly elegant. “I took the simple, sophisticated approach as a starting point,” Franchetti explains, “and then I played around with it, using different colours and fabrics that conjured up feelings from my past.” Franchetti’s designs are very personal and nostalgic, not that you’d necessarily know it by looking at them. And while Franchetti’s own memories won’t resonate with everyone, there’s no mistaking the era they’re inspired by; Priscavera’s ’s baby-crop tees, simple camis and bold club-kid colour palettes are staples of Nineties fast fashion. “I’m inspired by all the stuff I grew up around, like the posters I had in my room as a kid,” she explains. “I know the Nineties thing is very trendy right now, but that’s just when I grew up.”
Priscavera AW19
Considering how much she’s already achieved, it’s remarkable to think of Franchetti as a child of the Nineties. It’s a courageous move for any designer to embark on their own brand so early on in their career, and the young designer is still surprised by her boldness. “When I look back now, I think I had a lot of guts,” she admits, “but at the time it didn’t feel like that.” After interning at Chloé in between years of school, and working for Zac Posen in New York, Franchetti decided to cut loose – a decision that she says now seems completely rogue . “I don’t want to use the word ‘care- less’ because I wasn’t careless… I was just like ‘yeah, I’m going to do this.’” And the risk paid off. Shortly after showing her first collection, Priscavera was picked up by stockist Maryam Nassir Zadeh and garnered international acclaim. “I think the fact that it was so sincere is one of the reasons it picked up in the beginning,” Franchetti supposes. “It translated into the clothes.
Despite her natural flair for design, Franchetti struggles to pinpoint exactly where her love for fashion came from. “I wasn’t really into it when I was young,” she admits. “My aunt had an atelier and I can remember being fascinated by the fabrics, but I don’t think that’s what triggered it.” The designer describes her teenage style as experimental. “I had a shaved head,” she laughs. “I was a skinny kid and I looked kind of weird. At one point I was always wearing matching adidas tracksuits… I had a lot of phases.” This experimentation and self-expression seeps into Franchetti’s design process, too, and it’s no accident that Priscavera’s understated pieces – which often pair simple, high-quality fabrics and cuts with bold and in-your-face colours – offer up lots of styling opportunities. “I’m really drawn to people who use clothes to embrace their personality, whatever that may be,” she explains. “One of my favourite things is seeing my pieces styled in a way I’ve never thought of.”
Priscavera AW19. All images courtesy of Priscavera.
But it’s not just her designs Franchetti deserves credit for, it’s her approach to business too. Franchetti is involved in every aspect of her brand – the online store, the legalities, the website, the shipping. “It’s a lot,” she says, “but the more you do it, the more you realise how much you can do.” Of course, she’s supported by her team (albeit a very tiny one) and often enlists the help of trusted friends, such as long-time friend and Priscavera’s photographer, Francesco Nazardo. The bulk of Priscavera operation, however, is managed by Franchetti herself. And though business was never a made-to-fit role for the designer, she’s adapted to it, and insists it’s impacted her creative process in a positive way. “It used to be stressful to design, but now it’s become more like a prize, the moment when I can step away from the excel and just be creative. It’s like a reward.”
With her latest AW19 collection that, as ever sees the designer bringing fine Italian fabrics into a New York fashion context, Franchetti not only continues to solidify Priscavera’s growing status, but plays into the adage of sticking to what you know. And as Priscavera’s designs continue to playfully disrupt a classical notion of feminine elegance, it’s clear that her approach is working.
A version of this article originally appeared in SLEEK 59.