Beyond the ephemeral nature of seasons, the brand dismantles the rhetoric of conventional fashion to elevate clothing as a narrative device.&nbsp;

In a sartorial landscape often saturated by frenetic pace and the demands of instant consumption, Milan has a countercurrent, capable of transforming dressing into an exercise in introspection. Retori, the project born under the aegis of Alsara Investment Group (founded by Rachid Mohamed Rachid in 2017), defines itself not through the canonical fashion seasons, but through a succession of chapters. A continuous narrative, where the garment ceases to be an aesthetic fascination and becomes the messenger of artistic visions and profound biographies.
Leading the vision is Salma Rachid, already known for the success of Akoni, who conveys a refined sensibility between engineering rigor and a love for the universal language of art: "My interest in creations was born when my father made me read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. It was my first approach to the world of art, a journey of self-discovery," she told L'OFFICIEL Italia in 2024. For Salma, Retori is conceived as a blank canvas offered to artists to sow messages of resilience and beauty. "Art is a silent language, which generates emotions and needs no words," explains the founder, outlining a brand that is, in fact, an evolution of minimalism towards broader cultural horizons.
The approach is rigorously seasonless. "In the world we live in today, people are always traveling, and seasonality has become obsolete," Rachid clarifies. Hence, the choice of an editorial structure that undermines the rhetoric of fashion: each collection is a chapter that does not cancel the previous one, but integrates it, building a vocabulary of fluid forms and excellent materials, entirely made in Italy.

The debut is "Chapter 01: Roots," a tribute to the concept of roots, understood as necessary to face life's unpredictability. The campaign, set in the Antonio Canova plaster cast gallery within Carlo Scarpa's wing, immediately establishes the connection between fashion and architecture. Lensed by Lena C. Emery, models Marie Cornil and Sulian Rios interact with Canova's plaster casts, becoming moving sculptures themselves. In this first chapter, a dialogue with artists Diedrick Brackens and Daniella Portillo sparks a reflection on provenance: "Making art is a way to share with people the things that interest me. My works show how I see the world, what's important to me, the beauty of personal experience, and how it can be shared with everyone," explains Diedrick Brackens.

For "Chapter 02: Embrace your Identity,"&nbsp;Retori explores the fluidity of identity through the works of Miko Veldkamp, ​​a Surinamese-Dutch artist based in New York. The central theme is multiplicity: the idea that an individual is the sum of multiple places and cultures.
"I use memories and influences from all the places I've passed through; in New York, immigration seems to be the norm, so, in a way, I feel very much at home here," Veldkamp explains. "I began painting many squares out of a desire to delve deeper into their history, and I discovered that many of them are profoundly transformed during the New York summer. I feel transported into these narratives of migration: at the same time, each element is framed and dissected by windows and walls, creating a specific psychological space. I hope people grasp the complexity of my work: it's not just about objects, but about cultural landscapes, the individual psyche, dreamlike dimensions, the multiplicity of identities, and memories of the diaspora." The collection visually translates this layering through wool doubles, enveloping coats, and reversible pieces. The artist's graphic patterns, such as grids, checks, and overlapping stitches, enliven oversized shirts and wrap dresses, while mangosteen-shaped jeweled closures subtly recall Veldkamp's Southeast Asian roots. It's a celebration of an evolving identity, suspended between earthy tones and bursts of orange and iris.

Rhetori the collection Chapter 02 (Courtesy of Retori)

The third act delves into the realms of vulnerability. Inspired by Manuela Navas' research, the "Chapter 03: Sentimento" collection is an ode to tenderness and nostalgia.
 Navas' visual language prioritizes intimacy and emotional presence over narrative description. Following the story of Julim, a child tasked with chasing away the "Chupim," birds considered harmful to crops, his works reflect on rural Brazil through themes of work, empathy, and the coexistence of man and nature. Here, Retori's wardrobe becomes more emotional: drap&eacute; outerwear becomes feathery and light, linen suits explore a relaxed elegance, and naturalistic embroidery on safari jackets recalls the artist's dreamlike fauna. The expertly sampled color palette transforms each piece into a wearable diary, woven with what the brand calls "emotional intelligence."

The fourth and final chapter, presented at the Salotto Retori, pushes the boundaries of spirituality through the work of Brazilian artist&nbsp;Gustavo Nazareno. In this collection, "Chapter 04: Inner Cosmos," fashion becomes emotional architecture, a meeting point between the cosmic scale and human impermanence. Nazareno's canvases, imbued with Afro-Brazilian mysticism and baroque theatricality, find a perfect echo in the brand's sculptural volumes.

Reflecting on her creative practice, the artist emphasizes the importance of drama: "Drama is everything. The lighting, the pose, the gaze. Everything comes to life with a bold use of shadows." This approach translates into bold silhouettes, where the palette of obsidian blacks and cosmic grays is broken up by a vibrant red: "The color palette is absolutely stunning, too, and the red dress might be my favorite piece."
Nazareno also brings research that spans physics and astrophysics, seeing the sky as a form of secular religion: "The cosmos and infinity can be a powerful guide to understanding life. I began using planets, stars, and galaxies as sources of inspiration... They are deities in their own right." The recurring horse motifs in her work, symbols of conquest and power, animate poplin and silk shirts, while ostrich feathers evoke the ritualistic birds in her canvases. It's a chapter that closes a perfect circle, where the ultimate goal is not just to create a garment, but, as Nazareno states, "a vast, immense, infinite universe."

The Art of Dressing Thought: the Creators Who Defined the Retori Chapters

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