Antonio Marras draws poetic inspiration from the opera “La Bella d’Alghero”

Nothing is ever by chance with Antonio Marras. With his fashion show for FW2025-26, the Sardinian designer reaffirms, more than ever, his strong ties to his homeland, particularly his hometown of Alghero, and tells a unique story rooted in the art and music of the past.

“The collection draws inspiration from an opera from 1892 that we rediscovered, staged only once in the Salone dei Concerti of the Liceo Musicale Rossini in Pesaro: La Bella d’Alghero,” the designer tells us backstage at his fashion show, organized at Fabbrica Orobia. “We have done a great job of reconstructing the history of this opera, and in collaboration with the City of Alghero, we will bring it back to the stage.”

The Sardinian town, formerly a Catalan enclave, is the backdrop for the opera, which is well recognizable to those who, like Marras, know it well: its historic center, the sea, and the majestic profile of Capo Caccia on the horizon. September 29, the feast of St. Michael, the city’s patron saint, is the day on which the story takes place. The story is a typical melodramatic interweaving of unrequited or deceived love affairs, resulting in the tragic death of the protagonist, who jumps from the Capo Caccia promontory.

“We thought of a large caravan of thespians arriving from Barcelona to Alghero to stage the opera. The silhouettes are close-fitting and sensual, and the key word is layering: in each dress, there can be as many as ten different materials, which can be glimpsed. The latest releases feature a new technique: brushstrokes that I drew in the morning, inspired by the Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies, and that same afternoon were printed on fabric,” Marras continues. “There are so many details, that’s why I deliberately chose a minimal and industrial location, with a single blade of light that puts the woman at the center and allows you to discover all the details of the creations.”

Marras’s poetry is staged before the eyes of an ever-dazzling Sharon Stone, seated in the front row with her smile and kindness, and with a soundtrack chosen by the designer himself as a tribute to his family, whose history continues even under the umbrella of the Oniverse group, which acquired 80 percent of the label in 2022: “Verde Luna, for example, is a love song that my parents used to sing; the soundtrack is almost entirely female, the only exception being Claudio Villa, my father’s favorite singer, with his Granada sung in Spanish.”

Just as poetic is the press kit and placeholder for the fashion show: an opera libretto with a musical score, telling guests the story of the Bella d’Alghero.

The silhouettes in the collection are tailored, layered, aligned with the body, but also voluminous, micro, or maximalist. Incredible workmanship enriches the garments, including applications, embroideries, patch inserts, decorations, swirls, hand prints, flocks, and pleats.

The choice of fabrics is also very wide, ranging from the more formal pinstripes, Prince of Wales, and checks to the surprising velvets, brocades, and damask, passing through leather, denim, taffeta, silk twill, georgette, satin, voile, and tulle.

The clothes are like blank sheets of paper on which Marras sketches his signature motifs with brushstrokes, drawings, and sketches: hands, roses, stripes, dots, lines, and portraits.