With a history spanning over 100 years, Italian heritage label Trussardi has a wealth of designs in its archive that it can reference. When it comes to creating multiple collections year, it’s no surprise that the label has begun looking externally for new voices to help bring fresh ideas to the table and that’s exactly what its new project – Archive+Now – aims to do.
The first talents to be revealed as part of the project – at a presentation during MFW – are the design duo behind accessories label Medea, Giulia and Camilla Venturini. “The team were doing some research into Italian creatives who could take on the Trussardi archive and ended up on our personal and work account, where they were drawn into our aesthetic and creative vision,” the duo explains. With a rich history of creating leather goods, the sisters were naturally thrilled to collaborate.
While delving into Trussardi’s archive, the Venturini’s were clear they didn’t want to remain just in the past. “It was very important for the collection not to feel stuffy or dated,” the duo says. While the sisters are designers, their role for the project was strictly mixing archive pieces (that sadly won’t be available) with the newest collection. The collection itself features a variety of leather goods from suits, vintage-looking coats, and on-trend tiny handbags. “We really loved all the leather,” they say. “We mixed men’s and women’s pieces and went across all the eras.”
To create the accompanying imagery for the collection, the brand enlisted photographer Hanna Moon to capture it, with No Text creating a video. “We wanted the flashy point-and-shoot images to contrast with the images in the archive,” they explain. The images see the twins as models in an ornate setting, bringing their off-kilter vibe through their poses and some giant silver greyhound statues.
Following this project, the Venturini’s are hoping both Trussardi and other longstanding brands in the industry at large take a chance on celebrating newer talents. “The challenge was definitely big,” they say. “It was interesting though to see how a bigger brand dealt with a less canonical vision of itself. Hopefully they learned from our practices that are a lot more spontaneous and ironic.”
