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Marvielab: ReCikli FW12

ReCikli is a new stand-alone project by Marvielab and designer Mariavittoria Sargentini, presented in January during men’s fashion week. The concept revolves around archived fabrics which undergo a series of treatments and dyeing techniques, giving them a unique, weathered texture.

The collection comes together from 7 different patterns, all done in 3 unisex sizes and a total of 4 different fabrics. The result is a selection of garments that look first and foremost inviting and comfortable. In addition to being adjustable with a variety of closure systems such as buttons, hooks and drawstrings, the garments are further customizable by the wearer by cutting them to a chosen length along pre-stitched edges.

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Faliero Sarti F/W 2012

During my recent visit to Italy, I caught up with my favorite scarf makers, Faliero Sarti. Here is a look at the highlights from their F/W 2012 collection. The scarves and shawls looked impeccable as usual and Federico Sarti explained to me some interesting fabric treatments and weaving techniques. It turns out that one of their best sellers, the double sided fabric of cashmere, wool, alpaca and linen is made not by bonding the two fabrics but rather by weaving the two simultaneously. In other words, it comes out two-sided out of the loom. This season their famous 70% cashmere/30% silk scarves have undergone boiling and felting treatments, resulting in sumptuous textures. I also loved the hand-dyed scarf (no two are alike) whose fabric was subjected to enzymes that artfully disintegrated it in some spots.

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StyleZeitgeist Preview: InAisce F/W 2012-13

It’s an open secret in the fashion world that New York offers little in terms of creative design and much in terms of hype. But there are exceptions, the label InAisce being one of them. Its designer, Jona (last name undisclosed), was happy to offer us a preview of his new collection for men and women, called Pilgrim, that he will debut next week in Paris. Indulge in your nomadic dreams.

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Lumen et Umbra Women’s Debut

Lumen et Umbra, the under-the-radar Italian label known for its deceptively simple menswear, introduced their first collection of womenswear in Paris earlier this month. Issei Fujita, the Japanese-born designer who has been working in Italy since 1999, has transferred the same understated complexity of his men’s garments into tops, skirts, pants, and jackets for women. Intarsia, a technique for embedding visual details into the knitwear by inserting different threads, was the idea behind some of the designs. Fujita studied Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of the muscle groups, which he then implanted on the back of the cardigans and the front of his knit tops.