Decades ago Pollini was best known for its expensive yet affordable shoes made with the softest leathers. Fashionable and glamorously chic, Pollini’s shoes were among the most coveted by Italian women. The brand, founded in 1953, became famous for manufacturing footwear with the highest craftsman principles and for transforming in the ‘70s a simple riding boot into an essential but elegant piece of footwear. As trends evolved, the brand turned to ready-to-wear, a risky business in the already overcrowded universe of fashion. Since 2000, the Aeffe Group controlled by Alberta and Massimo Ferretti worked on restyling the Pollini brand that expanded reaching out to the Far Eastern market. In more recent years Pollini managed to produce high quality but definitely not eye-catching designs, but things have now changed, thanks to an all-British team that turned the brand into a completely new venture with its Spring/Summer 09 collection. With newly appointed Jonathan Saunders designing clothes and talented Nicholas Kirkwood working on footwear, the final resurrection of Pollini is assured.

Saunders managed to inject into the collection all his optimism, thanks to colourful prints, polka dots, multi-layered skirts and tops and interesting graphic combinations. Even the more classical grey outfits were given the Saunders treatment: some dresses had origami details around the neckline, while perfectly tailored jackets with a traditional men’s cut were paired with impeccable Bermuda shorts and white leather bags with golden zips – accessories reminiscent of Pollini’s popular designs from the mid-to-late ‘80s. Buyers fell in love with Saunders’ sleeveless evening dresses available in half lime and half black with turquoise straps or in bright orange and fuchsia with black edges. A touch of quirkiness and fun was added to the collection with mini sailor-like pillbox hats.    

Nicholas Kirkwood presented his signature colour-blocked high heels in different combinations: black and white and black and lime or blue and white prevailed, but all the shoes had beautiful high-heels made precious by golden metal inserts. Kirkwood’s interest in structure and linear shapes, but also in the history of Pollini was clear: even from afar his ankle boots and high-heeled tassel moccasin with inserts of polka dot fabric looked sculpturally flawless.

As a whole the collection was perfectly balanced and definitely respected the Pollini codes – high quality and chic – but Saunders and Kirkwood added a very modern touch to it, proving that teaming up young talents with some of the most important brands in the history of fashion is absolutely a winning combination.