“It’s very Franchi,” Elisabetta Franchi says of her resort 2027 collection. It is no coincidence that it’s called The Power of Presence: what emerges most clearly is an aura that remains consistent and immediately recognizable, yet is achieved through a process of reduction. This season, Franchi imagined a more everyday wardrobe, one in which character is conveyed through the structure of the garments themselves.
She had in mind a cosmopolitan woman, living her urban life before heading off on vacation. As a result, tailoring and menswear codes—always interpreted with a seductive edge—coexist with a sportswear attitude, offset by touches of unfussy summer-evening glamour and references to the world of lingerie. The lightness of the fabrics, including cool wool, acts as a counterpoint to the structured constructions and defined silhouettes that emphasize the shoulders and, at times, the waist. From double-breasted blazers and bomber jackets reworked with classic parka elements to denim and corsetry, leather outerwear, and through to Capri pants, sheath dresses, and jumpsuits, the aim was to create pieces that can move from the workplace to an evening party without requiring a change of wardrobe.
The colour palette ranges from warm tones such as camel and tobacco to chillier shades of graphite grey, black, and Oxford. Introducing a note of tension is Red Velvet, a deep, velvety scarlet that, together with a micro-spotted animal print, brings a distinctly feminine intensity to the collection.
Among the season’s new additions, sneakers and ballet flats inspired by dance shoes underline its activewear spirit, suggesting an effort to bring the codes of power dressing into a more contemporary register.
