In the same way that Peter Dundas had to move beyond the signature colorful prints in order to grow the Emilio Pucci brand when he took over the design reigns at the house, so too does Etro’s Veronica Etro when it comes to expanding from Etro’s signature bold colors and patterns. This season, while we did get hints of more streamlined looks with some chunky sweaters, loosely draped pants in simple patterns, and monochromatic belted coats, the Fall 2011 collection did not offer quite enough of the toned down looks that Etro has the potential to do.
While there was plenty of technical refinement to cull from, the dark collection’s weighty fabrics and mix of textures, Etro would have been better served breaking up some of the patterns or opting to show the bold ones and the high-shine fabrics in more classically tailored forms.
