Marina Rinaldi UAE

Clothing for living and enjoying

We can consider a thousand definitions, but ultimately, for me, there is only one true distinction in fashion: clothing made for wearing and clothing for living in. Said like that, it may sound like something for “fashionistas”, if you can excuse the neologism, but believe me, there’s a big difference between a piece that you wear and one that becomes a friend and will be your friend forever.

I have a few in my closet and they’ve never let me down. Like all best friends, they are trustworthy and patient: even if you leave them on their hangers for a while, infatuated with the trend of the moment, they know you’ll come back. There's something else that makes me love them madly – they never fight among themselves. Have you noticed? It's as if an invisible thread ties them together: maybe you found one at a flea market in New York, the other bewitched you from the window of a boutique downtown – yet it seems like they've known each other forever.

That's why I'm confident they'll welcome the new dress of a lifetime I discovered just yesterday during , designed to unveil the perfect summer .

I'm talking about the white caftan with a large butterfly on the back which Teresa Maccapani Missoni created for the brand.

Fashion runs in her blood (she’s the niece of Rosita and Ottavio and daughter of Angela Missoni), her talent pulsates with overflowing creativity and she goes beyond just thinking about clothes. In her See Now Buy Now project, in addition to the kaftans, there are shirts, skirts and trousers, often embellished with prints that she personally designed, taking inspiration from her passion for twentieth-century Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

But that's not why that big blue butterfly will soon be fluttering on my back. White caftan with belt, tightened only at the front to highlight the waist, you’ll be mine – because you were born to make me feel good. To be honest, I know I'd still have a wonderful time choosing the powder blue model, with large pink flowers along the sides, or the transparent orange voile tunic that's just right to pair with the floor-length black wrap skirt, or the olive green cotton and silk dress with an asymmetrical hem. But you’ve stolen my heart with your romantic sway, and since I'm in the mood for falling in love, I also declare that I fell in love at first sight with the day-evening bag made entirely of coloured beads, and with the bow- or cicada-shaped resin clips designed to decorate the nude-coloured mules.

Cristina Manfredi: Who is the pen behind the Marina Rinaldi New Fashion Journal?

Originally from Biella and Milanese by choice, she is a fashion, lifestyle and society journalist with a vibrant, upbeat attitude. She worked as a journalist for Milano Finanza Fashion before moving to Vanity Fair, later resigning to focus on personal projects, including writing, tango, running, and spending time with her beloved cats. Today she is a contributor to Vanity Fair, L’Officiel, Marie Claire and the Style Magazine - Corriere della Sera.