A presentation of unique garments created between 1972 and 1974

A tribute to Walter Albini at Hadrian’s Temple, within the context of the Haute Couture fashion shows to be held on 28 January at 8.00 p.m. In /Under the name of Walter Albini will features the creations by the icon designer of Italian fashion, a master of the total look, a pioneer of luxury pret-à-porter, capable of combining cultural passion with a love of the history of fashion. Albini’s ideas on fashion and its development are extremely clear and rigorous. Uniformity of style, a different relationship with each textile manufacturer but, above all, the awareness that High Fashion, as conceived in the ‘50’s, was destined to evolve, to make way for new production concepts. Way ahead of his time, he laid the bases for the emerging Italian look, of an almost inaccessible luxury. Albini insisted on stylistic aspects that he considered to be timeless such as polka dots, stripes, a white collar and ‘30’s style jewellery. A man of enormous passion and culture, Albini’s role models included the legendary Chanel, but also Poiret, Liberty, famous films of the’30’s, the magic of eternal femininity created by Erté, the graphic experiences of the Bauhaus, Constructivism and Futurism, together with projects indirectly linked to the culture of design and “alternative” fashion such as the folk style, borrowed from the streets and street markets throughout the world.

‘’A Fitzgerald-type hero in the ‘Beautiful and the damned’, comparable, in some ways, to Rimbaud on account of his short, though intense life – wrote Silvana Bernasconi – A great talent, a generous human being, a bit of snob, a great aesthete with decadent tastes, one of the great eccentrics like Cecil Beaton or Man Ray’’.


The fashion show at Hadrian’s Temple consists of 33 unique garments preserved in the archive of Marisa Curti, a collector and friend of the designer who died in 1983.
A runway dominated by a crystal shaped fragment of a mirror around which the models slowly move. A circular layout, decorated by mirrors, symbolizing the separation between the Albini of yesterday and the Albini who lives on in his garments. The staging of the performance, directed by Rossella Ronti, who worked with Albini, perfectly recreates the mood of his fashion shows and, in particular, that of his historic creations with minute accuracy. The objective is to capture an on feeling of contemporariness and modernity on stage. “Walter was extremely exacting, aware of his capacities and, above all, kind – said the director – Only the insecure are arrogant. He, on the contrary was an amiable, charismatic, creative and pragmatic individual, who knew exactly what he wanted and how to achieve it”.

Thus, his garments will be the true protagonists of this fashion show, worn by “neutral”, look-alike models whose only distinguishing feature will be the clothing worn by them. The garments that will be showcased (a mixture of items from 4 of the designer’s collections? belong to one of his periods, in a some ways, the purest and most uncontaminated. The runway will see the presentation of creations dating back to the period between 1972 and 1974, with a few exceptions that have been kept as a surprise in order to break the expected pattern of the presentations. White light spotlighting the catwalk to exalt both the colours and materials. The dominant tones, those preferred by the designer, range from violet to lurex with the inclusion of black, stripes and streaks of orange and brown. The whole completed by original pieces from his haute costume jewellery collection which he himself designed and had made up by master craftsmen. Bracelets, necklaces with gold, white and black pearls, made from semi-precious stones or glass, earrings, lonzenge and drop- shaped brooches in either glass or rhinestone. His unfailing silk scarves, small triangles to either be carried in one’s hand or tied to one’s bag, indispensable accessories, ranging from the brighter shades of beige and orange to the paler, contrasting hues of black and cream.
The models’ look was taken from original drawings preserved in the Albini archive. Wigs featuring bobbed, rounded, soft cuts, extremely marked theatrical make-up to give the model a striking appearance without, in any way, detracting from the garment which continues to remain a status symbol, the absolute, inimitable protagonist of the show.