• Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Is Not Your Costume

    You’re missing the point. The internet has rediscovered Carolyn Bessette Kennedy the way it rediscovers everything: through a slideshow. Swipe. Black knit turtleneck. Swipe. Headband. Swipe. Straight-leg jeans. Swipe. Minimal gold jewelry. Swipe. Slim sunglasses. There she is. Or at least, the version of her that fits neatly into a Pinterest board or a 15-second TikTok “How to Dress Like CBK” video. With the release of Hulu’s Love Story, CBK has re-entered the cultural bloodstream. And just as the internet tends to do, it has reduced her to a moodboard. A capsule wardrobe. A shopping list. A colour palette. Apparently, all it takes to embody one of the most scrutinised…

  • DOES THE STILETTO STILL MATTER?

    For years, heels were part of the uniform. From morning meetings to evening dinners, high heels signaled professionalism, authority, and femininity. However, after Covid, the rhythm of everyday life softened: people started prioritising comfort over performance. Today, dressing up is no longer a daily requirement: loafers pushed the stiletto out of the office and ballet flats slowly replaced pumps. Strangely, wearing stilettos to work now can feel like doing too much; it might seem excessive, even slightly out of place in some workspaces. With this being said, does the stiletto still matter? In the past years, loafers have upgraded from classic staple to fashion must-have. What was once considered conservative, and kind of grandmotherly, has…

  • Prada’s Magic Recipe

    In a complex macroeconomic market, few brands are capable of maintaining stability. Even fewer have managed to achieve growth in the fashion and luxury sector. Among the latter, Prada Group outperformed every expectation. According to the October 23, 2025 report, net revenues were up 9% year over year, marking 19 consecutive quarters of growth for the Group, with Miu Miu rising 41% over the first nine months (Prada Group). The question comes naturally: is there a magic recipe for finding water in such a desert? In this article, we will try to identify four reasons behind the extraordinary success of the Milanese Group. Nonconformism Since her fashion debut in FW 1988, La Signora has been clear about her intentions: fashion is an instrument that serves people…

  • If They’re Just Clothes, Then Why Are They in a Museum?

    Beyond the glitz and glamour of fashion weeks, runways, and designer shows, the world of fashion can be expressed in many ways. Just like theatre, music, or painting, fashion is a form of art and, as such, it is often intertwined with other forms of expression. Fashion is creation, passion, personalisation, individuality, and plurality. It can be interpreted in various ways; anyone can find themselves in these interpretations, just as with a work of art. Art and fashion are, as a matter of fact, connected. It is sufficient to think about fashion shows and how pieces of clothing come to life on a runway, or how the same clothes are…

  • From Stitching to Coding Lines: How Brands Innovate in the Age of AI 

    At Paris Haute Couture Week, the usual stars, Jonathan Anderson or Mathieu Blazy, were eclipsed by another designer. One name was on everybody’s lips: Alexis Mabille, for his SS26 show created entirely with generative AI. Regardless of Mabille’s real intent, the media and the internet quickly condemned him, lamenting the loss of craftsmanship, or praised his leap into fashion’s future. This effervescence revealed brands’ and consumers’ complex relationship with AI, oscillating between the rejection of new mediums perceived as jeopardizing haute couture’s integrity and the desire to address contemporary issues. This raises the question: how can fashion brands navigate the digital revolution, walking the thin line between engaging with contemporary…

  • Fashion as a Form of Power

    Edith Head once said, “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” In a world where individuality is valued above all else, her comment might pass as shallow to some. In truth though, what we wear today continues to shape how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and how power circulates in society. Fashion is not superficial. It is a language, a signal, and often a tool of inclusion or exclusion. Even today, clothing plays a decisive role in defining identity, status, and social roles. From the very beginning, fashion has been tied to power. Historically, what people were allowed to wear was strictly regulated:…

  • Is Reading Sexy Again?

    Some people always have a book in their bag — you might even be one of them (I, too, proudly count myself as part of the community) — but what about taking it one step further: what about a bag that IS a book? This is the vision that Jonathan Anderson has brought to life at Dior with the new (quite literal) Book Tote inspired by world-renowned classic covers, such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Not only has Jonathan Anderson paid homage to beloved titles from the 18th to the 20th century through the iconic Book Tote, but these covers also appear across Dior staples such as the Saddle Bag, card…

  • A Look Inside American Retro Studio

    The following is an edited transcript of an interview conducted with Laure Pariente, founder and creative director of American Retro Studio. With over 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, Laure has played a key role in shaping contemporary French fashion through brands such as American Retro, Zoé Tees, and My Lovely Jeans. Today, she focuses on upcycling, garment reconstruction, and circular creativity. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Zoe: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today for Bocconi Students for Fashion. To start, could you introduce yourself and American Retro Studio? Laure: Of course. My name is Laure Pariente,…

  • Beyond Red: The Strategic Evolution of a Fashion Legend

    On the 19th of January, we lost a legend, one whose pure passion evolved into one of the largest and most iconic maisons in fashion history. On behalf of BS4F, this article honours the life and legacy of the Italian fashion designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, known mononymously as Valentino. Valentino was born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, a small town in the Lombardy region of Italy. He was named after Rudolph Valentino, the silent film star of the 1920s, by his mother — a prophetic choice. Like his namesake, Valentino would go on to become an architect of fantasy, though his medium of choice was fabric. Born into…

  • La Casa Novanta, Up Close

    The following is an edited transcript of an interview conducted with the co-founders of La Casa Novanta: Florence Koch, Benita Schranner, and Josephine Moell. La Casa Novanta, founded in 2025 in Milan, creates handmade artisanal chokers. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Siena: Thank you for meeting with me today for this interview for Bocconi Students for Fashion (BS4F). Could you introduce yourselves and La Casa Novanta? Josie: Yes, of course. We are Florence, Benita, and Josie — three roommates in Milan who founded La Casa Novanta, a creative entrepreneurial project developed alongside our studies at Bocconi. We design and handcraft chokers using upcycled materials. Our goal…