By Seth Khouri
There is a tendency among emerging designers to romanticise the places they come from. Whether through the people who shaped them or the landscapes that defined their upbringing, these narratives can often feel insular, speaking more to personal mythology than collective experience. The strongest collections, however, begin with people rather than clothes—not caricatures constructed for a moodboard, but individuals whose habits and rituals leave traces on what they wear. For Spring/Summer 2027, Matteo Lamandini returned to the everyday characters that quietly shape his world, building a wardrobe informed by lived experience rather than aesthetic alone. In doing so, MTL Studio explored how identity, memory, and place are not simply remembered, but carried through dress.
Held at the Fondazione Sozzani, Lamandini presented fifteen looks across five models. The space, constructed to resemble a relaxed poolside setting complete with loungers and umbrellas, positioned the collection within a scene of staged ease. As the models moved through the installation with a blasé, vacation-like nonchalance, shifting from reclining into moments of writing postcards and quiet pause, each gesture reinforced the world-building at the core of MTL Studio. Rather than functioning as a simple presentation, the space became an extension of the collection itself—underscoring just how immersive Lamandini’s vision can be when fully realised.
As for the clothes themselves, a gentle palette of soft sky blue, lilac, and cream sat alongside moments of stark interruption—a singular black dress, a grey two-piece suit, and a pleated mini dress. Each look, sitting comfortably next to its neighbor. One look paired a blue striped singlet with baggy denim and cream leather sandals, the model caught mid-moment with a cherry-red popsicle in hand–a detail shared by audience members too. Another offered a short-sleeve pinstripe button-down tucked into a long white towel, as though the wearer had just finished their afternoon swim. It was styled with black sunglasses, a cream fedora, brown sandals, and a baby pink beach bag.
Ultimately, MTL Studio avoids resolving its references into a fixed narrative. Lamandini instead proposes a wardrobe shaped by accumulation rather than composition, where clothing functions as evidence of lived time rather than its representation. In doing so, the collection resists nostalgia, suggesting instead that memory is not revisited, but worn.