By Jesse Scott
“Can you hear the secret melody hidden within each rose?” This simple yet evocative sentence bloomed into a contemporary fairy tale in Italy’s Villa Arconati as Emma Rowen Rose launched her Spring/Summer 2027 collection before a highly exclusive guest list. The villa has been called the Versailles of Italy, and there was a sense of breathless anticipation as guests entered its grand halls and settled into sofas in sumptuous shades of emerald and sapphire. Beneath Baroque frescoed ceilings painted by the Galliari brothers, who famously created the initial scenography for La Scala, they witnessed the coronation of modern princes and princesses in a spectacle which felt operatic.
Rose entitled the collection the Secret Garden. And like Paris’s iconic “jardins secret,” which have persisted through centuries and regimes as sanctuaries from the chaos of city life, it embodied a particular dichotomy of strength and vulnerability which is deeply woven into modern femininity. Yes, flowers were the primary undertone of the collection. But rather than appearing simply as delicate floral prints, they defined the very structure and shape of dresses. The final look, which the designer cited as nearest to her heart, flowed to the floor in a cornucopia of petals reflecting an inverted blossom. Multi-tiered petals also appeared on a dramatically hooded white piece, a playfully sashaying periwinkle skirt, and a burgundy dress with a striking asymmetrical neckline. Most models carried a flower or bouquet in an admittedly delightful touch. Yet that should not distract from perhaps this collection’s most compelling narrative: that flowers can serve as both framework and frills.
Looks 53, 13. Courtesy Rowen Rose.
The men’s/unisex looks were among the most modern and personally inspiring. While princesses are the protagonists of most fairy tales, here male models were empowered with their own moments of sartorial sensuality. Familiar masculine forms were given feminine sensibilities through expansion into flowing silhouettes perfect for summer. A personal favorite look comprised of a navy pinstripe shirt ingeniously worn like a blazer, matching pants with dramatic cuffs, and a tie worn like a scarf. Meanwhile, a sharp-shouldered polo bearing subtle floral cuff details and paired with textured pants introduces a wholly “New Look” silhouette for modern men. And periwinkle blue and mint green anchored blazers in an all-too-rare paradigm.
Looks 18, 23. Courtesy Rowen Rose.
The color palette was simply spectacular. A soothing lilac anchored several of my favorite looks while a vibrant yellow dress, wrapped ingeniously into a Jackie Kennedy-style headscarf spoke to a refined summer glamour reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast’s halcyon days. It was a powerful metaphor for the collection: Parisian savoir faire meets Italian dolce vita. This should come as no surprise for those familiar with the designer’s background as a Parisienne with strong ties to Milan.
Looks 5, 26. Courtesy of Rowen Rose
During a week where most eyes were focused on scorching Milan, Emma Rowen Rose brought some of fashion’s most discerning names to a spectacle that transcended both nationality and era. Holding any event in a villa mentioned in the same breath in Versailles comes with high expectations. But still in her twenties, Rose enacted an extraordinary vision that revitalized old-world elegance with modern values. With a rich imagination and a nuanced understanding of history that previously led her to craft such worlds as a sartorial re-interpretation of a Greco-Roman bathhouse, she continues to build a universe with the potential to redefine modern fashion.