Pictured: Sarah Zerafa wearing the Elisabetta Franchi spring/summer 2023 collection. Venue: Gracy’s Brasserie, Valletta. Photographer: Bernard Polidano

There is a great desire for travel and a longing for rebirth; a new way to set off for a trip, if only in the imagination.
Elisabetta Franchi dedicates her spring/summer 2023 collection to such joyous and nomadic instincts that inhabit our soul, as well as our wardrobe, informing it with the atmosphere and memories of boundless locations.
Nothing feels typical or customary. But a sensory fil rouge permeates the collection, inspired by the territories from New Mexico to Argentina, evoking the sound of the pampas and the liveliness of South America cities.

The tango mystique and energy are conjured by dancing fringes, which have always been part of the brand’s DNA, but which, on this occasion, come ornate with dainty, alternating, two-tone – butter and dark chocolate – wooden beads.
Day and evening wear take turns with the rhythm of graphic patterns. These original motifs define the changing ‘geometry’ of the garments: from swimsuits to cardigans to include Elisabetta Franchi’s classic stretch crêpe trousers.
Butter, dark chocolate, milk, squid ink or liquorice – the chromatic palette also seems to have caught a whiff of the scents and aromas of those lands, while the tactile textures change constantly.
The main protagonist of the collection is the waistline, which is emphasised by cropped tops and carefully selected accessories.
The raffia fabrics are transformed first into a dress, then worked into a skirt and, at the end into a maxi, fringed gaucho Cuban.
There is a generous selection of differently knitted tops in jacquard or ornate with textured surfaces and even handmade details as in the beautiful crochet pieces.
Unmissable in this exuberant offering are the à jour crochet trims, the knitted coats used dresses.
The accessory highlights include raffia towering, yet super comfy, wedged sandals, a kilim-like woven tote bag, the embroidered clutches and a modern take on tango-inspired jewellery. The Gambler hat completes the look of this strong woman who can get anywhere she wants, as far as the antipodes of banality.
This latest collection is available from Elisabetta Franchi outlets at Bisazza Street, Sliema, and the corner.com in St Julian’s.