A few days ago Italian designer Stefano Pilati debuted a collection under his name with a runway show in Montréal. The collection, and label titled Random Identities, is the designer’s first independent venture since he parted ways with Ermenegildo Zegna in 2016.  A few days prior to the collection’s debut, the designer took to the internet to release a photo series of intimate images shot by photographer Luis Rodriguez. These images featured male bodies shot in black and white wearing nothing but black caps and boots from the collection. This was a series of photographs that at first glimpse on a timeline would instantly capture one’s attention, it felt as if Pilati had something to relevant to say, and this was one’s cue to listen carefully.

The fact that the designer chose to debut in Montreal as opposed to one of the European fashion capitals well within his reach enforced that he was not aiming to continue or tell a story of Yves Saint Laurent, Ermenegildo Zegna, or any of the previous houses he was associated with, but instead, this represented the flip of a blank page for a completely different type of fashion story.

“An honest statement is necessary: fashion at high prices no longer means exclusivity. My response is to produce moderately priced clothes — ‘the low’ — and present them in a high fashion context, creating limited edition items which by quality of design will justify the proposal — ‘the high’.’ The collection was menswear oriented and featured several looks of separates combined and styled to create silhouettes which were genderless. Dominated mainly by shades of black and olive green, the designer describes the pieces as forms of protective wear — constructed from twill and nylon  and offers a presence which is both friendly and secure, providing a feeling of power whether during the day or clubbing at night. Following such a powerful debut of the brand, it will be interesting to see what next he has to offer, as one who seems to have a different voice with an interesting perspective and story to back it.

Tags: Canada, Design, Fashion, Fashion Week