February Editorial

Let’s start again with momentum. Shall we try? We must try.

Twelve months ago, we were overwhelmed by one of the worst nightmares of our lives—a tragedy that involved the entire world, destroying millions of lives and dramatically affecting our economic and social structures. A year later, we all feel a great sense of exhaustion; perhaps we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet, but bit by bit, we are holding our heads high again.

And I am certain that if Italy makes it, it will be thanks not to politics or the aid we anxiously await from Europe, but to the incredible strength and courage of the entrepreneurs who lead our economy—an economy made of small and medium-sized enterprises. It will be thanks to those people who rolled up their sleeves and started from scratch, because this is what Italians do best: reacting to and rising from tragedies. All while creating style and elegance.

I speak of fashion because it is the sector I know best. It has suffered, it has paused, it has understood that it needed to change, and now it stands at the starting line with new energy: collections full of color (yes, for men too!), designs that are anything but minimal, and two fundamental watchwords: sustainability and optimism.

At Crida, as you know, we never stopped. We continued to work, we sold our Spring-Summer collection throughout Italy—which you will now find in the best stores—and we realized we were on the right track by focusing from the start on quality and “Made in Italy.” We suggested buying less but buying better, producing everything locally to protect the supply chain.

Now we want to face this spring with positive thinking—not only because February is a crucial month for sales campaigns, but because we are convinced the desire to dress up will return (in truth, mine never left…). There is a yearning to buy something new for a special event, be it a wedding, a birthday party, or even a dinner invitation from someone special. February 14th is Valentine’s Day, and never more than now do we need love and connection. To help you choose your look, we have prepared a special Valentine’s selection featuring our unmistakable red dresses—modern, hyper-feminine, and perfect for capturing the heart of the person across from you.

Furthermore, I want to announce with a hint of pride that in February, Crida will be the protagonist of a major event: we have been chosen by Rinascente Milano to occupy the most visible and prestigious space in their store as a debut brand. We will have the opportunity to sell our Spring-Summer collection for three weeks during Fashion Week, from February 23rd to March 15th.

For Daniela and me, this is an immense satisfaction after such an exhausting year. It is a sign of encouragement to continue in this direction, but above all, it is the opportunity for high visibility we were waiting for: the chance to present our idea of elegance in the temple of Milanese fashion, for a woman who is ready for a rebirth.

We believe that every dress and every color we wear has a strong symbolic meaning and power. It is no coincidence that certain garments have become the hallmark of a historical period or a philosophy of life: I think of Coco Chanel’s suits that freed women from corsets, Mary Quant’s miniskirt as an emblem of protest and sexual revolution, or the jackets of a genius like Giorgio Armani who helped career women in the ’80s be credible, comfortable, and stylish. But what do we need today? Right now, I feel the need for lightness, for color, and for a refined elegance that takes nothing away from the daily commitment to work, family, and children, but allows each of us to say, looking in the mirror: I feel beautiful.

This is the world we imagined and created with our dresses in natural silk, fine cotton, and pure linen, in a rainbow of brilliant shades. Every woman has an infinity of colors within her, and after such dark months, the time has come to find them again.

We are ready for this special spring, and we will be happy to meet those of you who wish to visit us at Rinascente, where we are organizing a space as welcoming and elegant as our clothes. Like the Crida style—which simply means Cristina and Daniela—two women like you, who love fashion and want to start living again, but living in color.