‘It all began with the Swans,’ Massimo Giorgetti confided backstage. However, the women I envision today are not those original figures; they are their daughters, raiding the wardrobe.

Giorgetti’s collection deftly manipulated the established codes set by designers like De la Renta, infusing them with a fresh context. Imagine ‘granny takes a trip’: chic black day-suits disrupted by zippers and lacquered studs, tweedy bar jackets sporting double lapels and fluoro-trimmed fastenings, and punkishly cut brocade dresses suspended from oversized faux-pearl chokers. While some pieces—like the camel cashmere overcoats, white faux fur, and lace-sleeved moss green wool—echoed Giorgetti’s starting point, his skillful styling and moody presentation ensured that the Swans-gone-wrong vibe remained captivatingly intact.

The designer offered a thought-provoking perspective on how the ensembles he crafted might embody a subtle form of ‘revenge dressing.’ He explained, ‘The current generation harbors a touch of resentment toward those who came before them. Simultaneously, they carry a sense of nostalgia—for both the past and an imagined future.’

The silk dresses and pants, adorned with hazy memories of opulent soirées by Bruges-born artist Jan De Vliegher, created a dynamic tension. They straddled the line between rejecting the past and yearning for it. Beneath the surface, this 15-year-old label grappled with its own maturation, cleverly leveraging the deniability inherent in audacious pastiche. And amidst it all, certain pieces would surely have even De la Renta himself raising an appreciative eyebrow.