When discussing a collection backstage at a fashion show, no one spends as much time talking through the craftsmanship as Ermanno Scervino. “Luxury cannot exist without craftsmanship,” he said, keen to emphasize that everything bearing his signature is “entirely and proudly Made in Italy.” The spirit of the spring 2027 collection was embodied by the perforated suede jackets and trousers embroidered with organza ribbons, worked like lingerie. And the hand-patinated nappa tailcoats, as light as shirts: “It took months of work to achieve this softness and sheen,” the designer said. Plus the corsair jackets in linen matting, embellished with highly refined passementerie developed together with a yarn technician to create braided ribbons in gold or copper metallic threads, as well as silk-thread galloons worked into loops.
Nothing escapes Scervino’s creative passion, and he always knows exactly what he wants. The brown babydoll dress, like the matching set, was made from pleated silk chiffon and inlaid lace, with a denim print that created a clouded effect rather than the hardness of a solid color. He even designed the lace himself, so that its motifs would echo the outlines of hibiscus and palm leaves in the prints. The same attention extended to the feather embellishments, hand-sewn to create the three-dimensional effect of palm leaves. Palms appear embellished on denim, printed onto organza, and worked into cashmere knitwear with cotton cutouts, evoking the exotic travels the designer dreamed of as a boy.
He knows how to respond to the needs of contemporary women—with a tailored knit suit, for example, made from lisle yarn and cotton crepe—but he also how to bring out the girls they once were. “My women wear boas made from 16 meters of chiffon, but they hold them in their hands; they don’t act like showgirls,” he said. “There is always something irreverent about their aesthetic.” Inspired by the spirit of Twiggy and David Bowie’s London that he experienced as a young man, he made balloon miniskirts a central part of the collection’s narrative, puffed out in duchesse satin, crocodile, or pleated organza with a rippled texture. They were designed to be worn with masculine tuxedo shirts, constructed with an integrated corset meant to be left visible.
Across accessories, from shoes to bags, raffia created a sense of continuity: Crocheted or woven and trimmed with leather, it came in a laminated gold finish or in the same color palette as the clothes, which moved from shades of blue to sand, through chalk white, pink, and red, before reaching chocolate brown and black. The jewelry took the form of shells and pomegranates, adding the touch of fun that Scervino is unwilling to give up.
