The Sunnei designers are mercurial and unpredictable. They like to unsettle and provoke, but their nerdy sense of humor makes their show (more performative interaction than conventional fashion week material) a moment of clever entertainment sandwiched between not equally as clever and entertaining shows. The fashion industry and its paradoxes are a favorite target of their critique. This season they treated their audience to a more intimate gathering, held in the showroom space of cc-tapis, a company that produces rugs created by artists or designers. The models walked on a huge 72-square-meter striped carpet, unfolded right before the show started. What were they up to? “We asked ourselves: what does a model think when she/he walks the rehearsed walk in front of the audience?” The musical score was replaced by voiceovers, 30 of them for the 30 models, that supposedly described what was in their minds. “Who ever cares about what models are thinking when they perform?” asked Simone Rizzo. “This season we’re giving a stage to their mental spaces—just to create a new layer of madness,” added Loris Messina. Here a few examples of possible mental formations during a catwalk walk: Look #10: “Okay. Walk straight. Don’t bite your lips. Try not to fall. Walk straight. Fuck. The bag is falling.” Look #16: “Nah, nah man, these clothes are nice but put together like this… We all look like a bunch of clowns. Gosh this brand. They want us to look ridiculous or what?” Look #23: ”Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.” Look #26: “Oh gosh… The noise in my stomach. Oh gosh, I can’t wait to eat some pasta. Mmmm, Italian pasta, fusilli, ravioli, risotto. Mmmm…” Look #30: The world is on fire and we’re talking about fashion? These people are so superficial. I can’t do this anymore. Jesus. Look at them. Look. The blonde in the second row, she thinks her review will change the world.” The hilarious commentary was actually a smart way to keep the focus on the co-ed collection, limiting the audience participation of previous performances that somehow distracted from the clothes, which here could be seen up-close. The feel was that of a more elevated offer; the Sunnei repertoire of wardrobe basics looked more polished and concise. Oversized jumpers in fluffy mohair with matching berets and trailing scarves were standouts. Humongous puffers in colorful satin came with interchangeable covers like a bedroom duvet; a few pieces were crafted from a striped rug fabric in collaboration with cc-tapis and put together with snaps, so when un-snapped they can return to their original carpet stage. “We aren’t interested in fashion trends, we want to offer our audience an artistic journey that is food for thought.” Craziness and cleverness—a combo the Sunnei designers manage with consummate aplomb.
