The Attico’s designers are both from the south of Italy—you can tell from their dark beauty and sensual vitality. Gilda Ambrosio is a born and bred Neapolitan, while Giorgia Tordini calls Naples her adopted city. It was there that they recently hosted the launch of their beachwear collection Napoli Vista Mare (Napoli Sea View). The festivities took place in a spectacular villa in Posillipo built on turf rocks overlooking the sea, and were capped off by a sort of gastronomic extravaganza—it entailed the takeover of an historic bakery famous for its sfogliatelle, as well as that of the best gelateria and pastry shop in town. Guests were treated to pizzas carried directly to the dinner from local restaurant Concettina ai Tre Santi, which has a reputation as the best pizzeria in the world.
The new collection was named Neapolis and the lookbook was shot at night in the decadent villa on the sea, conveying a sultry, mysterious mood. “Naples is a place of tough contrasts,” Gilda and Giorgia explained. “There’s beauty and misery in equal measure, fragility and passion, romance and grit. It reflects who we are and the spirit of The Attico.” Legend has it that Naples was born from a siren called Partenope, so beautiful that everyone fell in love with her; the shape of her tail is symbolized in the (slightly phallic) red horn that’s the city’s lucky charm—everyone carries one in their wallet for protection against evil.
Not surprisingly, the sinuous mermaid shape is often referenced in The Attico’s voluptuous dresses. Hinting at the Parthenopean spirit of seduction, the collection played on sharp oppositions between the slinky and the tailored. Broad shouldered suits with corset-like cinched waist alternated with ultra-short minidresses draped tautly as a second skin around the body. Fringed siren numbers in sequined mesh with a vintage feel had a liquid translucency, while a slender pantsuit in sleek stretchy leather changes color from black to dark purple when on the skin. The boyish charm of oversized cargos and distressed denim was (momentarily) ditched in favor of a more womanly, grown-up feel. “Naples is a female city,” said the designers. “We wanted to celebrate that feminine energy.”