It was 42 degrees Celsius in Milan and Como when this look book was photographed, a steamy 108 Fahrenheit. “Hair and makeup” wasn’t easy, said Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, the label’s cofounder (a situation to which New Yorkers in the midst of a weeklong heat wave can relate), but Câllas’s new clothes for next spring held up. Scarf dressing is one of the two-year-old brand’s foundations; typically, there are dress shirts in souvenir prints—Naples one season, Venice the next. This season, a slip dress in a printed silk twill was added to the mix; an adjustable drawstring at one hip gave it a sexy shape.
Tailoring is also foundational at Câllas. A white linen viscose pantsuit was cut in slouchy, boyish proportions, and a more feminine, fitted style came in cotton linen the color of pink carnations. For shirts to accompany the tailoring, there were cotton poplin button-downs in a variety of stripes, some with origami flowers decorating the front. Pants have become a specialty here, and the cropped, compact knit style in bold jewel tones looked like bestsellers in the making. If not wilting in next summer’s inevitable heat waves is a goal, the collection’s must-have is a great-looking day dress in black and ecru Berber stripes with a row of buttons at one shoulder.
