In Paris he headed up Saint Laurent (before Hedi Slimane dropped the Yves), in Milan he sat at the helm of Ermenegildo Zegna and Agnona, and now, after a three-year hiatus, Stefano Pilati is shedding his luxury skin to reveal a new solo collection inspired by his move to Berlin and its “isolation from fashion”. Entitled RANDOM IDENTITIES, the Italian designer revealed his latest offering yesterday evening at the headquarters of Montreal-based fashion platform SSENSE to much surprise and fanfare.
In a mission statement, Pilati writes how his new home has transformed not only his style, but also his relationship to work and play. Like so many before him, the Italian designer moved to Berlin and fell in love with the club scene, trading in early mornings and late nights of work for going out, which he claims contributes to a more honest and “un-branded” approach to fashion — evident in this stark, outerwear-heavy project.
It’s easy to see the Berlin influence in the monochrome 35-piece collection, which was originally teased in 2017. Featuring an array of oversized garments in muted shades of grungy green and mud-brown, not to mention an abundance of black, Pilati’s latest looks are not unlike those sported in the queues for Berlin’s infamous techno temples. The underground, techno scene has been an influence on Pilati for a while — last year he walked for Berlin club-inspired collective GmbH and RANDOM IDENTITIES continues with this theme.
Among the collection’s standout pieces are utilitarian bomber jackets and puffas, tailored, military-style trench coats, “Berlin Baggie Cargo Pants” and t-shirts sporting the collection’s black bar logo ironically evoking modesty censorship. While the collection is technically menswear, it pushes gender lines with stiff corset belts, vampish fishnet tights, kilt skirts and 3.5-inch heeled boots — embodying the sort of cool, transgressive approach to life and style that the German capital is known for.
“RANDOM IDENTITIES” is now available on ssense.com and from selected global stores today.