During summertime the earth darkens, the soil hardens, and the air becomes dry under the sun. Trees cast their patches of shade. The body grows weary, just after the harvest of spring fruits. Sweat grazes the epidermis, while dust raised by footsteps settles upon it. Patterns, stripes, and patches emerge on the skin, akin to those made by plows in the fields. Magical lines that predicts the renewal of sowing.

Federico thus returns to his dearest theme, his homeland, but this time delving into its history, how it was cultivated, nurtured, and worked during a time of profound connection with it. Summer memories surface and accumulate, blending with those of his grandfather and ancestors: the plowed fields, the sowing, the harvest. The passage of the season, and with it, the diverse traces of time and labor on bodies and worn garments, marked by time, toil, and dedication. TERRA seeks to narrate a world of harmonious synergy, turning away from industrial exploitation and focusing on the dignity of physical connection with places.

The apple becomes the most emblematic symbol, a partnership and bridge between humanity and nature. Split in half, its spherical shape appears to tell the story of the entire world. This is how Tonino Guerra, a poet from Romagna, dissected and illustrated it, drawing inspiration from the fruit and the traditional motifs of fabric printing produced by local artisans. The poet, deeply dedicated to nature, sought and selected various apple varieties from throughout the Apennines, along with other region-specific plants, to be planted and preserved in a special place he referred to as “a place of the soul”. Thus, L’orto dei frutti dimenticati born in Pinnabilli, in the province of Rimini. It is a place where plants and artworks are treated equally, creating a visible metaphor, a poignant connection. In a world tied to the land and its profound meanings, sowing promises the future, just as the entire past has already become fertilizer and heritage. Federico strives to gather his own, reconnecting with those who loved, worked, narrated, and dreamed of his land.

The landscapes of Romagna, in the torrid and arid atmosphere of summer, imbue threads and fabrics with colors: the evening beige of wheat fields, the parched brown of earth, the off-white of walls, the green of vegetation, and the deep dark of leafy shadows. Days unfold in this anachronistic and yet cyclical dimension, where work and household garments gradually deteriorate. Time’s wear leaves marks and streaks. It darkens aprons and jackets and consumes their fabrics. The sacks of lute in the sheds turn into sweaters, natural and unbleached yarns are knitted and then unraveled, stressed and decomposed. Clothing here emanates a life intrinsically intertwined with the land, living and breathing alongside it. The long and ancient tradition of terracotta in Faenza seeps into the garments, completely covering them in inhabitable sculptures. Through the skilled hands of local artisans, pottery transforms into earrings and accessories, solid as delicate stone, merging with garments as embellishments and appliques. The entire territory is poured into the collection, a world that seeks to manifest in reality needs to become material, and here it transformed into clothing.

After the recent unfortunate events that have devastated Emilia Romagna, in the form of floods, landslides, and inundation, this heartfelt ode to the territory takes on even greater significance for Federico and his entire team. A sincere thought goes out to all of Emilia Romagna, which is slowly recovering with strength, tenacity and selflessness. FEDERICO CINA – SS24It serves as a reminder that beloved places must be celebrated and preserved.