After spending its first chapter indoors, Venerdì Pomeriggio opened the doors onto the garden: Vivetta Ponti called her spring 2027 collection simply “Gardening.” “When you garden, you grow something and take care of it, but eventually it becomes independent and has a life of its own,” she explained. “It feels very close to what happens in real life.” Nature offered both subject and metaphor for a project conceived around slower rhythms and deadstock materials.
The clothes grew naturally from Ponti’s domestic language. “I love wallpaper, decoration, beautiful interiors, and researching details,” she said. “For me, that research starts from the house and reaches clothing.” Windows became recurring motifs, sometimes embroidered onto a black jacket with tufts of green feathers sprouting beneath them. Tiny wildflowers scattered across denim, while cross-stitched tablecloths turned into ruffled skirts. A strapless white taffeta mini was gathered at the bust and tied with pale blue ribbons, the way a florist ties a bouquet, while green ostrich feathers suggested grass and stems. Ponti specifically researched their sourcing with Florentine feather specialist Mazzanti Piume, which does not use plucking. “I wouldn’t have used them otherwise,” she added.
Elsewhere, flowers handmade in Pistoia climbed garments and hats. Korean designer Nino Kun created the more theatrical headpieces; Lili Curia developed embroidered footwear. Basket bags were assembled from recovered satin and leftover fabrics. “There is always this contrast between inside and outside,” Ponti said. “You’re inside the house, and through the window you see the garden.” The setting, nestled inside Milan’s Residenza Vignale, expanded the lifestyle proposition. Chef Marco Assaggia created tablescapes laden with fruit, jellies, and vintage glass and porcelain that Ponti and her mother had collected over the summer. Even the soundtrack entered the process from the design stage: “When I design, I increasingly think about the music and the location too,” said Ponti. Santamaria Sound Studio developed a cinematic score around the characters Ponti imagined wearing the collection. “I don’t want that cold idea of models simply coming out and walking,” she said. “It should feel more like the soundtrack of a film.”
This season also marked Venerdì Pomeriggio’s first move into selective wholesale distribution. “I don’t want to follow fashion’s pace or do huge productions,” Ponti said. “I want the distribution to remain very curated.” Some knitwear and transitional pieces will still be available immediately, resisting a rigid seasonal timetable: “I’ve never really liked designing by seasons, I work a lot with layering,” she concluded. As with gardening, growth here is welcome, provided it isn’t forced.
