Delve into the world of Etro with its chic, newly published tome by Rizzoli. The book is the first-ever monograph by the Italian label and much like its eccentric and luxe DNA, the book follows an non-chronological history of the brand. Instead there are pages devoted to how their famous prints were inspired, like their Spring/Summer 2012 show which took its cues from Futurism and Constructivism like Fortunato Depero’s découpage works from the 1930s. The book is also interspersed with interviews focusing on Etro family members like one with Jacopo Etro, who is interviewed by Robert Penn on the subject of traveling as an existential mindset. Check out the specially numbered chairs created in collaboration with Gaetano Pesce made of resin and embedded with Etro fabric.
There are fun, quirky pages like a recipe for Etro’s “Cooked Shirt” in which a white button down is dyed in blueberries, granulated sugar, and blueberry juice in a glass cooking dish. Or there’s the Etro color chart in which the myriad of colors used in Etro’s clothing are explained by their meanings. For instance, lavender means imagination and rebalancing and is said to regulate blood pressure and stimulate the hemolymphatic activity. Who knew?! Plus, there are pages detailing the history of stripes or the brand’s “Good Mood Labels”, which list inspirational themes instead of fabrics (i.e. “27% Curiosity 53% Glory 20% Fortune). This new fashion tome is anything but ordinary and anything but a flat history of the brand and its accomplishments. We highly recommend this book, which is able to bring about the brand’s essence in a creative expression of ideas. J’adore!
