September Editorial

When my partner—Dani, whom you all know by now—and I returned to work, we went on a trip to a stunning location: Hotel Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole. Perhaps some of you know what I’m talking about; it is certainly one of the most fascinating resorts we have in Italy. I had been there once many years ago and loved it because, despite being decidedly luxurious, it reminded me of an old family home (it was founded in 1965). It is almost hidden among the hills, immersed in greenery, with no pretense of showing off, but only of being incredibly welcoming and comfortable. Well, after all these years, I found it exactly the same. Though technological and sustainable improvements have certainly been made, its structure proudly showed its age and all its Italian charm. In my opinion, this is its added value.

Why am I telling you this? Because I firmly believe that Italy has a heritage of scenic, artistic, and gastronomic beauty—not to mention fashion and design—that is unique in the world. In many cases, this beauty should be preserved rather than surrendered to the fads and trends of the moment. Speaking with the fascinating director, Marie Louise Sciò—who is also the founder’s daughter—we discovered her commitment and skill in keeping intact, though renewed, the elegance of a place that proudly shows its years. It is no coincidence that it is beloved by foreigners who find at Il Pellicano the essence of that “Italian-ness” that is hard to replicate elsewhere because it is hard to explain: it is our most precious heritage.

I like to think that in fashion too, as I have often recounted, there is a world of brands that set trends and every season propose products that will end up in magazines and windows as the “must-haves” of the moment. Often, they push the accelerator on the boldest and perhaps most unwearable novelties. Then there are other labels, like Crida, that believe fashion shouldn’t be consumed so quickly, but rather kept, worn over the years, and appreciated for its quality and that style which never fades. This is why Daniela and I returned from that meeting comforted by this idea: the beauty of Made in Italy should not be flaunted, but discovered, loved, and used for a long time.

For us, this is the mood of the new Crida Autumn-Winter collection, which we are happy to present to you and which you will find in stores and on our e-commerce site. In addition to the silk dresses that are absolutely timeless and can be used in all seasons, there are other warmer pieces, equally comfortable and contemporary. If you browse our site, you will discover models like the Aviano and the Torino (yes, they always bear the names of our beloved Italian cities!), made with wool fabrics that are always 100% natural, light yet warm, to be used as always from morning to night.

We love the idea of dressing women at every moment of their day: the Aviano—as evidenced by the name of the place that hosts the American military base in Italy—has a military style and is the perfect “little soldier” uniform (we’re all a bit like that, aren’t we?) for those used to never stopping from morning to night but who always want to look polished and elegant. The Torino, on the other hand, is a more rigorous yet equally feminine and very easy robe-manteau. Then there is the Firenze, our lucky charm silk dress, made in a delicate “pebble” print, graphic and special in its color combination. The Ischia skirt, one of our summer bestsellers in canvas, is featured in this collection in double crêpe, with the addition of a buckle that adds character, accompanied by a jacket, the Trieste, with perfect proportions to be worn as a suit with the skirt but also with jeans. The colors are autumn classics: camel, cream, military green, burgundy, and blue, of course—but also with a few surprises like mustard yellow and peacock blue, because now more than ever, we all want to experience winter in color.

For important evenings, we created the Levanto, a long silk dress with wide, fully open long sleeves to sensually show part of the arms. To shine even more, there is the Ravenna in precious fil coupé fabric, reminiscent of the splendor of the mosaics of Galla Placidia. Finally, there are the tricot cashmere dresses, where we had fun coloring the winter with bright pink, brilliant green, and light blue.

With the hope that this will be a brighter season for everyone—more aware of what we have been through and therefore full of courage and the desire to start again. Remembering that Italian beauty never dies.