Berluti’s new winter ready-to-wear collection is a collaboration with the artist Lev Khesin. Born in Russia and based in Berlin, Khesin is an abstract painter whose work revolves around subtle gradations of colour and the laborious application of layers of silicone paint. Fluidity and adaptability are key aspects of his work, and the collection hence consists of garments and accessories that flow seamlessly into life, with unstructured lines and soft silhouettes. Suits are uncomplicated yet comfortable and playful, even as great pains were taken to align the prints of jacket and trouser; bags are supple and playful, while shoes blur the codes of formal and casual.
Berluti is itself no stranger to the application of colour gradients. After all, it was Olga Berluti who, in the 1980s, developed the burnishing technique that adds a pleasing patina to the appearance of a leather shoe, and is a trademark of the brand today. Another ode to shoemaking is found in the use of point norvégien, a distinctive type of braided stitch traditionally used to insulate a shoe or boot from wet conditions. Here, it is an unassuming visual highlight on jackets and accessories.
