HERO v1_desktop_Runway - Marina Rinaldi
HERO_MOBILE_Runway - Marina Rinaldi

Are you coming to the runway show with me?

“Wow, you work in fashion”. Many people react like this when I explain what I do. Initially, I feel slight satisfaction in attracting other people's attention. But after a little banter we always get to the inexorable question: "Can you take me to see a fashion show?".

Streaming just isn’t the same thing, the idea of taking part in the grand ritual of a fashion show unleashes curiosity, even today. Even though I’ve been to endless fashion weeks, I still always feel a little edgy as the time for the runway shows approaches.

 

 

 

 

A fashion show is so much more than a sequence of dresses worn by beautiful women. It’s as though, each season, someone invites you into their home to tell you a new story imagined in the most intricate details, in order to intrigue, tease and make you dream; even to discover that you want to be different from how you have always presented yourself. A seat in the first row is like a first kiss, you never forget it and I would adore to take with me those people whose eyes light up when they imagine the scene. The truth is, if each of us who work in the sector arrived accompanied by friends, not even a football field would be big enough to accommodate us all. But I can give you a better idea of how it works and what takes place.

 

 

 

 

 

It all starts well before the set time, when you open the wardrobe and choose your look for the day. As it is, it takes time for me to put together my outfit every morning. So it goes without saying that I pay extra attention for fashion shows, however, I don't like overdoing my image just to get noticed. For example, if I were to go to a show tomorrow, I think I would opt for a sleeveless, V-neck black cady waistcoat dress, the kind that flatters the figure without squeezing it and that has a nice slit on the front. Then to balance out its severity, I would shake it up with maxi earrings and plenty of bangles on my wrists, finishing off the whole outfit with a mirrored metallic sandal.

 

MEDIA TEXT_DESKTOP_Runway-2 - Marina Rinaldi
I have found myself moved to the point of tears, wishing for a magic wand to instantly put on this or that dress, taking mental notes aware that I have just witnessed a slice of the future on the runway. And I’m always filled with gratitude for those people who, thanks to those clothes, make the world a little more special.

 

People in fashion have their own concept of time: if the invitation says to show up at ten in the morning, you already know that the event will not start before ten thirty, and yet you make sure - traffic permitting - not to arrive at the last minute. The reason? Simple, it's the show within the runway show, the one-by-one arrival of the guests who, like you, will have dressed with care. I already know what you're thinking – ugh, everyone gossiping what a nightmare – instead I have a surprise for you. Aside from a few incorrigible gossips, it is a time for ideas and suggestions: I always find great inspiration in the images of my colleagues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, it begins: the lights dim, the buzz dies down, the music starts, preferably at full blast, and all eyes fall on the first look, the one that will set the tone for the show. Sometimes I become spellbound watching the wave of heads turning in unison, we are a sea of eyes (and smartphones too) searching for that subtle emotion that takes hold of you when you are faced with beauty. Months of work by the style offices, the pattern making, the prototyping, the styling, the dressers comes to life in the models' stride. Those ten, maybe twelve minutes of show transport us all to a different dimension that after a few months will become reality in our wardrobes.

 

MEDIA TEXT_DESKTOP_CRISTINA_MANFREDI - Marina Rinaldi

Cristina Manfredi: Who is the pen behind the Marina Rinaldi New Fashion Journal?

Originally from Biella and Milanese by choice, she is a fashion, lifestyle and society journalist with a vibrant, upbeat attitude. She worked as a journalist for Milano Finanza Fashion before moving to Vanity Fair, later resigning to focus on personal projects, including writing, tango, running, and spending time with her beloved cats. Today she is a contributor to Vanity Fair, L’Officiel, Marie Claire and the Style Magazine - Corriere della Sera.