Simonetta Ravizza

SIMONETTA & THE STEPPE

Mongolian-Inspired Collection Signals Change of Direction for Revitalized Simonetta Ravizza

Simonetta Ravizza’s F/W 22 collection was a triumph, indeed a complete 180 for a brand in desperate need of a turnaround. I found Ravizza’s last collection deeply unimpressive. The ambutuous vision, while promising, was poorly and incoherently executed, the result a wardrobe that felt scattered in a garish way. An excess of different animal prints and textures comprised a thrift shop-esque cacophony, and any item that would stand well on its own was turned tacky by its surrounding ensemble.

Fall/Winter 2022, which Ravizza herself acknowledged was a major shift for the brand, demonstrated a renewed focus. The collection was streamlined and pared down compared to past years; the designer stayed true to the core aspects of her DNA without creating a sensory overload. When compared to last years chaotic cheetah print, the color-blocked showcased designs were unrecognizable. Most outfits were a canvas of either pure white, red, or black, and one of the few that wasn’t, a beautifully cut herringbone suit, was a versatile and timeless piece that centered the whole connection. This is not to suggest that Ravizza completely abandoned her flare for the dramatic. The simplicity of color enhanced the power of texture, from frost-white lycra stockings to furry red shoes to voluminous shearling jackets,

Mongolia, which also inspired emerging designer Sara Wang this season, was the underlying theme of the collection. While Wang interpreted the steppes through colorful folksy patterns, Ravizza (thankfully given her penchant for overbearing colors and busy designs in the past) referenced the culture through small details. For example, we saw embroidered spiral motifs on overcoats and mohair fringes on bags. Most memorably Mongolian was a pair of bulky shearling trousers that was reminscent of local materials, culture, and the shepherding industry.

I’m tempering my expectations for Simonetta Ravizza moving forward; this season marked one of the most dramatic and rapid changes in a personal brand’s aesthetic that I’ve ever seen in the fashion industry. I’m not convinced that Ravizza’s new tag phrase of “always elegant” will define her season after season. But I am heartened to know that she can create simplistic and classic styles…styles that could be critical to the long-term sustainability of the brand. Even if the animal prints come back and the one-color ensembles disappear, Ravizza would be wellserved to carry references to this seasons’s aesthetic into whatever motifs and nature-inspired themes she transitions to next.