default-output-block.skip-main
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

No.21's Metropolitan Ease

Alessandro Dell'Acqua's twisted classics — suited for the urban jungle — may not be groundbreaking, but are nonetheless consistently fresh and smart.
By
  • Angelo Flaccavento

MILAN, Italy — Alessandro Dell'Acqua presented the No.21 collection at Garage 21, the newly finished brutalist-industrial space — formerly a parking lot-cum-repair shop — below his Milanese headquarters. No.21 has officially turned into a maison, both in the old and progressive sense of the term. The brand operates out of a single space that includes a design studio, showroom and presentation space. The aesthetic it promotes, however, is resolutely contemporary: fast, brash and with a classic soul. A garage, even a converted one, invariably conveys an idea of metropolitan ease and speed.

That's what the collection was all about: twisted classics suited for the urban jungle or some road trip (as the images culled from Twin Peaks and the like and pinned on a mood board backstage suggested). "I wanted to add a dash of mystery," Dell'Acqua explained. He kept it simple and not too referential, give or take one nod or two to Kolor, the wonderfully subtle and pictorially inclined brand from Japan. The result was desirable pieces that did not scream fashion too much. It's Dell'Acqua's forte and the reason for his growing commercial success: his ability to deliver well-designed collections you actually want to wear. Nothing groundbreaking, but certainly fresh and smart.

In This Article

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Fashion Week
Independent show reviews from fashion’s top critics.

From where aspirational customers are spending to Kering’s challenges and Richemont’s fashion revival, BoF’s editor-in-chief shares key takeaways from conversations with industry insiders in London, Milan and Paris.





view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
BoF Professional Summit - New Frontiers: AI, Digital Culture and Virtual Worlds - March 22, 2024
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
BoF Professional Summit - New Frontiers: AI, Digital Culture and Virtual Worlds - March 22, 2024