It is a feat to look sexy, cool, and effortless but the young Italian brand No. 21 has proven it is still possible. No.21 the luxury brand created and designed by Alessandro Dell’Acqua showed their Spring-Summer womenswear collection called ‘Lovers’ in Milan on September 21st. The runway show gave off performance art vibes with its stunning ambiance of spoken word over electronic beats and romantic crystal chandeliers that dimly lit the runway; the show crescendoed in a blare of an electric guitar as the thirty-six look collection challenges the negative and romantic connotation associated with the concept of ‘Lovers’ . No. 21 takes the gender-neutral word as inspiration, mingling the feminine with the masculine. 

The collection challenges the concept of the lover, both as something romantic and naughty, an intriguing premise. The materials are a combination of those used in sultry lingerie and fetish gear, mixed with traditional romance to create a modern sensuality. Liquid shiny leather, sheer organza, and deconstructed ivory lace repurposed from vintage wedding dresses help to tell a story through the clothing. Alessandro Dell’Acqua, creative director of No. 21 mused, “In this game wavering between moralism and passion, freedom and constraint, my collection steers through the awareness of shifting moods by using fabrics and colors that assume the form of daring means for narrating quite a cinematographic tale.”

The clothes were topped off with a lusciously bright red lipstick, grungy textured hair, and chunky crystal wreath necklaces. Dell’Acqua designed patent leather heels intended to offer practical support without taking away from the height of the shoes. Knee-high sheer socks in nude and black were worn with the heels adding a touch of old-world femininity to the modern ensembles. The heels were shown in red, black, and white were accompanied by matching trapezoid bags carried by the models who looked both fierce and sentimentally romantic.