Fay, We Have a Problem

You would think that after a couple of barely passable collections at Fay, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi had finally started feeling more at home and therefore capable of starting from scratch with a blank canvas and some original ideas. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Snoopy appeared in their Spring/Summer 2014, Woodstock in their Autumn/Winter 2014, and it looks like Charles Schulz's Peanuts are still on their minds. For their Spring/Summer 2015 collection the duo paid homage to the irresistible bossy Lucy van Pelt, printing her on jackets and rucksacks or decorating tops with a sequinned version of the most opinionated of the Peanuts.

The main theme, though, was streetwear and, while it is admirable for the duo to try to provide their consumers with an elegantly casual wardrobe, the results proved they don't have a clue.

Streetwear is trendy and saleable at the moment, we have for example seen how Haute Couture prefers pairing sneakers and flat sporty yet luxurious sandals with exclusive designs, but it takes a clever designer to twist things around and come up with some desirable and unique pieces.

Aquilano-Rimondi created their own hymn to freedom – the slogan "Fay Time" – and they used it on techno fabrics, on sequinned tops and on sweater seams. Their clothing semantics – including oversized T-shirts, trunks and parkas – was borrowed mainly from basketball and boxing, though they tried to make it more feminine using pink shades and unnecessarily romantic ruffles and quilting.

Sports also appeared in the footwear and they combined elements of sneakers with heels and straps. Yet the shoes displayed some connections with Balenciaga's A/W 2007 elegant yet dynamic and futuristic sandals (see image six in this post); the Peanuts and Lucy in particular also appear as cutesy prints on Peter Jensen's S/S 15 collection (see images one and seven in this post; even though it must be said that all these designers referencing the Peanuts are somehow spoiling Charles M. Schulz's humour and sense of freedom by turning his kids into vehicles for certain brands), while the elastic bands with "Fay Time" written all over them were reminiscent of Nasir Mazhar's designs (images two, three, four and seven).

You could argue that underwear elastics with logos are very common and popular in sports, but some of the moods and the designs (anoraks,shorts, backpacks…) looked very similar to Nasir Mazhar's.

Sequinned pieces also called to mind Ashish's glamorous designs (think for example about his S/S 14 and A/W 14 collections; see the following image) with their sporty shorts and casual tops covered in sparkling elements.

It isn't a crime to try and make more casual clothes that may appeal to a young audience, but Aquilano-Rimondi do not seem to have found their identity yet or do not have enough confidence to come up with their own vision and design clothes just for the sake of it, without putting their hearts in what they're doing (or is there a consultant that is misleading them into thinking that copying is the key to success?).

You would think that working for a brand that has already got the infrastructure, manufacturing facilities and distribution channels would be easier than establishing your own label, but it is proving hard for the duo. Aquilano-Rimondi are indeed trying to generate commercial value while following a trend, yet the key to more sales doesn't stand in following a passing fad, but in establishing your identity and developing your personal signature style.