Remember how at January's menswear catwalks D&G projected as background for their show videos displaying images of a technique used for basket-weaving as a reference to their evening jackets that seemed made with hundreds of interwoven satin ribbons?
Well, it looks like the “intrecciato” technique has become one of the main trends for the Spring/Summer 09 season.
This technique was often employed in the past by many Italian brands, designers and artisans to create accessories using the finest and softest leathers.
The weaving technique allows to create multi-coloured items with different fabrics and materials or types of leathers - from cow to snakeskin or crocodile skin - and is therefore often employed by designers to show their prowess and creativity.
For ages, though, woven leather accessories were considered rather classic - think about the traditionally timeless men’s woven brogues - and therefore not extremely trendy.
In recent years Bottega Veneta turned the classic “intrecciato” technique into its trademark design and made this style covetable to a new range of customers and therefore newly fashionable.
Bottega Veneta’s woven leather totes and clutches became iconic and the S/S 09 collection features quite a few bags in which leather is used to reproduce the motifs of Vienna straw. The brand also used the “intrecciato” technique as a sort of decorative motif for this season's wedges characterised by delicate printed floral motifs.
Another historical Italian company, Salvatore Ferragamo has re-launched the "intrecciato" technique in its S/S 09 delicate raffia sandals available in natural or bright colours, in its straw and leather bags, and in its limited edition sandals (check out the 1935 “Malibu” model) with cork heel and with an upper formed by a natural raffia mat alternating with multi-coloured crocheted raffia, created following Florentine straw weaving techniques used for making hats.
Marc Jacobs’ woven raffia and leather slingbacks in primary colours echo in a way Ferragamo’s vintage models, and those who can afford it can match them with Jacobs' woven lurex tweed-like jacket and leather clutches.
Footwear company Le Silla offers instead a wide range of sandals with woven leather straps and an architectural touch added in their vertiginous wooden ziggurat-like heel, 
while Giuseppe Zanotti went for an interesting combination, designing black patent leather peep toe shoes with a stiletto heel and a woven platform detail that reminds of ethnic designs.
Sporty fashionistas can instead opt for Alejandro Ingelmo black and silver woven leather trainers with a white rubber sole, black toe caps and lace-ups.
Architect Kengo Kuma is famous for designing buildings that do not look as solid mass objects but give the impression they were made by different woven elements of wood or stone.
Kuma's buildings - such as the Chokkura Plaza with its basket-like surface - often feature variably layered façades.
Italian brand Lorenzo Banfi applied the same principles to its footwear and played with different textures and surfaces in its recent collections.
While for the Spring/Summer season joyful colours - such as shocking pink and bright blue - characterise the brand's woven leather peep toe shoes and flat sandals, for the Autumnal season the "intrecciato" motif comes back in pumps, boots and brogues.
The latter are particularly interesting as they feature inserts of woven leather strips that give the illusion the surface of the brogues has been ripped off to reveal the "structure" that supports the shoes.
A final mention goes to Borsalino’s men’s trilby hats in woven two-tone straw that create fashionable optical motifs (check out models #140685 and #1409686 by clicking on the Borsalino site, on the 'Men's Hats' link and then on look number 17).
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That Lorenzo Banfi shoe is just great. have to view the collection
Posted by: Lennon | May 03, 2009 at 06:31 PM