Plan C is growing up. The brainchild of designer Carolina Castiglioni has reached its sixth year, deepening the polish of its offer and getting more attractive—there’s beauty in aging after all. Its expanded collection now includes menswear, shoes, bags, and jewelry, all aligned with its utility-chic look.
Beneath her well-behaved reserve, Castiglioni is rather clear about what she wants. While she has softened her strict, workwear-inspired design by introducing a few more feminine flourishes, she remains true to her personal style. She likes it boyish, unfussy, and functional.
Riffing on her repertoire she broadened menswear (first presented at Pitti last season) by designing identical styles for both genders, making adjustments solely in sizing and fabric choices. Cue a classic carpenter jacket, crafted in high-end wax-coated canvas for men, and reimagined in smooth pink duchesse satin for women. Elongated into a trench coat with roomy square pockets, the jacket took on a softer, feminine appeal with the addition of a detachable marabou feather trim along the front. One of the collection’s highlights—a long pleated gray skirt in grisaille—featured the same fluffy accent. It was paired with a geometric jacquard jumper in matching tones that Castiglioni tucked into the skirt’s waistband with requisite nonchalance.
Castiglioni’s creative spirit and love of contemporary art is well represented by her use of a bold block-color palette. For outerwear, she chose dark shades like black and deep brown for the outer shell, contrasting them with pastel touches on jumpers, detachable zippered bibs, and crisp nylon hoods. She also tried her hand at more elegant designs, while maintaining her penchant for neat, architectural shapes. Case in point was an austere yet fluid burgundy dress featuring capelet sleeves that can be transformed into a scarf to tie around the neck, alongside a dramatic black cape: Plan C goes to a soirée at La Scala.
