The Inter-Views of Fashion: Francesco Scognamiglio
Born in 1975 in Pompeii, near Naples, Francesco Scognamiglio opened his first atelier when he was 23. Since then his career has been constantly on the rise thanks to his designs often characterized by a strange dichotomy between research, experimentation and avant-garde inspirations on one side and the traditional principles of the Neapolitan tailoring school on the other. This perennial dichotomy came back in Scognamiglio’s Spring/Summer 09 collection: perfectly tailored cropped jackets were paired with black plastic see-through trousers; there was an emphasis on sleeves, shoulders and shoulder-pads, often decorated with ethereal feathers; sculpted ruffles appeared on necklines, skirts and dresses, alternated to cascades of roses.
Where did the inspiration for your Spring/Summer 09 collection come from?
Francesco Scognamiglio: It came from a deep desire of communicating a modern allure and a new sense of elegance. Birds of paradise were they main theme behind this collection. These rare birds inspired the feather details and the collection palette, if you think about the blue zircon of some of the outfits. The fabrics used in this collection went from the softest and lightest silks, almost transparent and impalpable, to silk gazar woven on ancient looms that was employed to give more structure to some garments.
Is there one of the outfits from the S/S 09 collection that was particularly difficult to make?
FS: The last one. Behind it there is all my experience but also the highest craftsmanship since to make this outfit I used crystal mesh, chiffon and lace. Working with three different materials that also have very different weights was very challenging but also highly rewarding. In one of your previous collections there were little hidden details on some of the outfits, such as golden buttons with heraldic symbols and stylised bagpipes.
Are there any special hidden details in this collection?
FS: The sartorial construction of this season’s dresses is the real hidden detail. Though from the outside the dresses look very simple, inside they have a complicated structure built with whalebone sticks.
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