In 1991, Italy’s then famous pop star Viola Valentino came out with a hit song titled “Romantici,” or “The Romantics,” which summed up the willful and dreamy bent of that era’s youngsters.
Among them, the Albanian parents of designer Jurgen Çanaku were fleeing their country to Italy. Tales of that trip have been the designer’s primary source of inspiration since establishing his brand after years as a buyer, conjuring a post-romantic aesthetics and a vintage flair.
As his fashion gains steam and is picked up by musicians such as Måneskin for public gigs, his tailoring grew sharper for spring, yet still imbued with too many a retro twist, as in double-breasted suits with slightly flared pants done in gemstone blue, green or mustard yellow.
A pin-striped number with wide lapels and a retro twist read New Romantics, while sartorial pieces shredded and sliced, including an emerald green tuxedo jacket cropped at the hip, were simply too much.