Malo (Q3265)
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Malo is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Malo |
Malo is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
2003
stylist
2005
creative director
There was a hustle-bustle of excitement—and as much Italian spoken as English—at the Celeste Bartos Forum this morning as Alessandro Dell'Acqua's debut for Malo drew near. The anticipation was understandable given the number of personnel changes that have occurred at the fabled Italian cashmere house since it started showing in New York in 2006. Dell'Acqua is in fact the third designer to take the creative reins in that short time (or fourth, if you count the team of Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi, who left for Gianfranco Ferré in April, as two instead of one). What, the audience wondered, would he bring to the party?Dell'Acqua's stated theme, ironically, was suspension, and by the third look it was clear what he meant by that: Iris Strubegger appeared in a sort of tiered "lobster dress," bands of fabric hung on gossamer tulle (a very modern homage, perhaps, to Dell'Acqua's favorite designer, Charles James). Boxy, tailored, sleeveless jackets had a tough, deconstructed vibe thanks to the use of suspension bars—a familiar concept to Ralph Rucci fans. Adding some celebratory sparkle to the proceedings were jeweled tulle inserts here and there. Dell'Acqua's well-edited dress parade also included two goddess gowns in a cashmere so light-gauge it would have made even Botticelli envious.But although Dell'Acqua's collection served up sophisticated, trend-aware clothes on the half shell, as it were, the suspense on the retail end remains: Sure there are pearls (and purls) to be found here, but will the fashion-forward customer think to look for them at Malo?
9 September 2008
Fall found Roberto Rimondi and Tommaso Aquilano and their models going around in circles. The show was held on an oval catwalk, and there was a round-and-round theme to embellishments and patterns.The rings worked well on a printed silk dress with subtle circular insets, and on a series of short, full skirts that managed to look modern and not retro fifties. But when the circle motifs were applied to thicker knits, the result was a heavy pod structure that overwhelmed the frail models at times. Although the Italian designers were hoping to capture an oceanic-tribal vibe, the result was more cyborg.There was ambition here. The celestial details scattered throughout were inspired by the bull's-eyes and starry canvases of Richard Pousette-Dart, a pioneering abstract expressionist whose work Aquilano discovered at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. And the hand-treated angoras looked incredibly soft, like gossamer swansdown. ("We're trying to make knitwear that doesn't fit the conception of what knitwear looks like," the designers explained through a translator before the show.) But however well crafted the clothes were, in the end they were overwhelmed by the concept.
3 February 2008
"Where's the knitwear?" one editor wondered aloud as yet another elaborately beaded coat came down the runway. For three seasons, this famed Italian cashmere company has been staging fashion shows in New York; since 2006, the collection has been designed by Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi (who show their 6267 line in Milan)—all of which demonstrates that some sort of rebranding is afoot.Clearly, the line is centered not so much on yarn as on luxury, pure and simple. While many New York designers have gone on vicarious safari this season, the Italian duo took an imaginary voyage in another direction: to the Far East. They returned with both directly imported concepts (beautifully beaded Asian medallions) and more subtle translations (cheongsam-shaped hoodies, robe jackets, yarns with cores of pure gold). Silken "jog" pants and jumpsuits added timely sporty and sexy seventies references to the accomplished, if somewhat repetitive, doings.There's no question these clothes are well made. And the duo obviously has a real feel for texture—as their Rasta knits proved last season, and as skirts that looked as if they were constructed out of silken Chinese knots did this one. The ultimate destination of the brand, however, remains TBD.
9 September 2007
For Spring, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi had done a futuristic take on Marimekko; for Fall, it was a futuristic take on Franz Kline. Abstract expressionism: That explains the splashy prints. And the cool austerity. Tailored menswear for women was the focus of the first half of the show. Fur was also abundant; one that looked like astrakhan had hirsute beaver sleeves. But what about the knitwear, you ask? After all, this is Malo, home of luxurious Italian cashmeres. Knits were represented by untraditional "Rasta" pieces, like the opening look, covered with twists of yarn that looked almost like dreadlocks. There was a mohair mini that looked like it might purr.Some of Aquilano and Rimondi's artsy-craftsy techniques worked better than others. A feathered and beaded coat was over-the-top fabulous. The pieces with outsize jingle-jangle plastic beads, not so much. In the audience were Lenny Kravitz, a Romanoff princess, and Italy's answer to the Traina sisters, Matilde and Beatrice Borromeo. How these high-profile Malo customers will react to some of Aquilano and Rimondi's experiments is TBD, but the collection was well-edited, and overall it felt like the designers were pushing the brand forward.
7 February 2007
In July, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi—whose 6267 line won the Franca Sozzani–headed Who Is on Next? young designer award—were handed the reins of Malo¿s ready-to-wear line. And while the duo does favor body-hugging, sometimes retro silhouettes in their own work, for Malo they wanted to play with ideas of modernity. This took two forms in a repetitive collection: colorful, pop-y, occasionally overwhelming prints; and a space-age feeling that nodded to Courrèges. The designers treated cashmere with plastic via coatings, and they embroidered large plastic stones onto everything from a modish sequined tunic to bags. Applying the 3-D lozenges to a pair of micro shorts was not their most practical idea. Among the long parade of trapeze shapes and frequent doses of color, a white cashmere suit and a patent trench really caught the eye. Aquilano and Rimondi are clearly trying to make a mark, but let's hope they don't forget the essentials—like the cozy luxe of cashmere—in the rush to modernize.
11 September 2006
The not-so-secret motivation behind Malo's runway show was brand-building. The 34-year-old cashmere company wants to expand in America, and it hopes that the appointment of Fabio Piras—a Swiss graduate of Central Saint Martins with experience at Balmain Couture, Tod's, and most recently, Brioni—will achieve that goal, while putting Malo on the radar of the fashion cognoscenti.Malo is known, of course, for luxury with a "made in Italy" touch. Piras delivered that in the company's signature cashmere knits, worked into a chunky but chic turtleneck dress and a number of delicate lacy numbers. There were also classic coats, notably a camel trapeze number and some substantial woven models. The "moneyed" point was really driven home by the furs, including a poncho and a white sheared-mink trench, as well as by the ultraluxe crocodile that was used for accessories. The peep-toe shoes were so high that they hobbled the models, but the thigh-high boots in green crocodile were fierce (as the price tag will surely be).Those boots were a nod to the fashion-forward consumer, but ultimately Piras aimed this collection at the "groomed lady" he believes to be the brand's core customer. The intention was to communicate what Anna Piaggi's program notes termed "a sensual hint of bon ton," and that was mostly achieved.
8 February 2006