The dimly lit venue of Etro’s show revealed imposing effigies—masks inspired by Greek tragedies. Aptly named “Act,” the collection hinted at a potential career pivot for Marco De Vincenzo, Etro’s creative director. With a playful jest, he confessed to feeling torn between authorship and interpretation, a constant struggle that both weighed on him emotionally and fueled his creativity. The masks, symbolic of this inner turmoil, took center stage.

This coed collection exuded an almost somber undertone, as if De Vincenzo sought to unearth Etro’s hidden depths. Departing from their usual chromatic exuberance, the color palette transitioned from sensuous earthy tones to the enigmatic abyss of pitch-black—a daring departure for a brand that had long shunned black as anathema. Fearless in his experimentation, De Vincenzo confidently charted new paths, embracing occasional oddities and surprising freshness.

The collection’s texture-rich fabrics played with layered motifs, intricate surfaces, and superimposed patterns. Quintessentially Etro, yet miles away from their romantic boho narrative, De Vincenzo’s vision was radical and unapologetic. Fluid, unstructured silhouettes coexisted with bold draping and asymmetrical plays—a statement amplified by oversized tailoring that exuded presence and nerve. De Vincenzo’s words echoed his ambition: “I’ve raised the bar, sensing a hunger for intensified fashion creativity—one that doesn’t seek perfection but thrives on emotional expression.”