Rather than tap into some exotic location or obscure film to inspire her new spring collection, designer Prisca Vera Franchetti went inwards. She leaned into her feels, pinpointing her emotions and memories around the dog days of summer, and then allowing them to inform the direction of her youthful, upbeat pieces. “I wanted to tap into all the different kinds of experiences of summer,” she said, choosing to make clothes appropriate for everything from chill beach days to dressy evening weddings, and all the plane rides in between (see: her cozy velour tracksuits, perfect for jet-setting).
The assortment may have lacked cohesion, but perhaps that was the point—to offer a little something for everyone, depending on how they summer. It’s easy to fall into the tropes of the season (Dresses! Shorts! Swim!), but Franchetti zeroed in on her own summer nostalgia to give the pieces a more unique feel. The sleeveless, cotton-poplin tennis dress, for example, took cues from her childhood. “I don’t play tennis,” she said, laughing, “but I have memories of going to tennis class because all my cousins were doing it.” The slinky, olive oil-green two-piece shirt and trouser, or the countryscape-print jacquard dress or top with a corseted bodice, nodded to the relaxed fashions she used to see growing up in Italy. “My grandmother had a place in Sardinia,” she said, recalling the chic, easy fashions she used to see people don there. (Her daisy-print swimwear also begged for an Italian getaway.)
Although Priscavera is built on young, fun party staples, it wasn’t all sweet and sentimental offerings—there were also saucy garments suitable for a perfect summer night out. The branded white tank tops were inspired by the touristy shot glasses or logo tees the designer came across in tacky Miami gift shops. Sparkly ribbed knits and metallic denim shorts were the kind of clothes you’d wear on a roaring night out complete with a hangover the next day. The long, floral-sequined slip dress also evoked the feeling of cascading water—Fun! Playful fashion is what Franchetti excels at, after all, and the designer said it best: “Dress for the types of summer you crave.”