Italian designer Daniela Gregis’ aesthetic relies on reminiscences of her countryside, complete with allusions to the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and devotion to family and faith. These old-fashioned references, plainly stated in the well-worn look of s/s 2006, have morphed seamlessly into something progressively urban for the a/w 2006-7 show.

image: Daniela Gregis s/s 2006 www.donnamoderna.com

image: Daniela Gregis a/w 2006-7 www.donnamoderna.com

Some of Daniela Gregis’ s/s 2006 looks:

image: Daniela Gregis s/s 2006 www.donnamoderna.com

image: Daniela Gregis s/s 2006 www.donnamoderna.com

image: Daniela Gregis s/s 2006 www.donnamoderna.com

The standard I compare all that is “progressive” to, of course, is the hyper-brand-conscious Tokyo chic. If Daniela Gregis has a found a following there, then the clothes have been inescapably urbanized in my mind. The Japanese seem to have an affinity for distressed and layered clothing, like old peasant dress. The aesthetic appeal, whether it stems from wabi sabi or elsewhere, demonstrates an important fact: a design base of rustic simplicity, regardless of the culture, is timeless.

image: Daniela Gregis a/w 2006-7 www.donnamoderna.com

image: Daniela Gregis a/w 2006-7 www.donnamoderna.com