If there was something that stood out at this show beyond the garments on the runway, it was the image of Vivetta Ponti as a child observing her adult self. A surrealistic approach to everyday objects characterizes her perspective, and with her spring 2024 collection, she once again constructed the world she belongs to, but with a hint of disenchantment. It was like reading a fairy tale, a more mature one if compared to previous seasons, where the dreamlike element maintained a solid connection to reality. In her show venue, the Chiostro dei Glicini, a cloister that is part of a 15th-century monastery where wisteria climbs the portico columns, the music began with “Divine Failure” by Elsooyer and ended with “Mind Your Own Business” by Delta 5, within which a girl asks “Can I have a taste of your ice cream?” and a woman responds, “No, mind your own business.”
Ponti evolved her style while remaining faithful to the codes that define her identity, exploring polka dots as a symbol. ”I thought of a polka dot celebration. A happy bundle of tiny dots, a handful of hypnotic spheres,” she said. Starting from Beau Brummell, the dandy icon who made polka dots scandalous and popular in 19th-century London, Ponti explored a more graphic and less painterly language than usual. Polka dots burst like soap bubbles, printed or embroidered, in micro or macro versions, as cut-outs or feather-covered appliqués. She found a balance in the combination with a Vichy print, characterized by large brushstrokes rather than lines, and in the three-dimensionality of roses as decorations. While the colors, from navy blue to “Vivetta pink” to acid green, led us into a bon-ton aesthetic, the jewelry—handmade in Italy— represented the eccentric charm of the collection.
There was a pink cape covered in feathers, hand-sewn with a degradé technique by Atelier Mazzanti; a very special golden bra shaped like a flower; a pair of shorts and a cropped shirt made with a smock stitch —an ode to Ponti’s passion for embroidery—and a skirt made from a combination of contrasting fabrics, including pleats. Being Vivetta means giving space to a multitude of spirits.