Profile: Strong Horse Sense

ABOVE THE FRAY

REVOLUTIONARY STRETCH TULLE FABRIC SETS FUZZI APART IN THE FASHION WORLD. BY JILLIAN LAROCHELLE

In 1954, the Fuzzi family opened a modest knitwear factory in Cattolica, Italy. But it wasn’t until the founders’ daughter, Anna Maria Fuzzi, joined the business in 1971 that the company’s interest in fabric innovation truly began. She believed that women should be able to express themselves with the freedom and ease of a ballet dancer, and so she began to experiment. The result is the brand’s one-of-a-kind stretch tulle fabric, which is functional as well as beautiful. It can be hand-washed (and never needs dry cleaning), can be packed and unpacked without wrinkling, and miraculously stretches and conforms to flatter all body types. Moreover, Fuzzi’s tulle tops, dresses and skirts can even be hemmed at home with scissors without ever fraying.

This innovative fabric drew the attention of several major design houses, and in 1983, the Fuzzi factory began producing ready-to-wear collections for Jean Paul Gaultier. The legendary designer’s avant-garde aesthetic and Fuzzi’s unmatched technical know-how made for a perfect partnership, which endured until his brand shuttered last year. However, the designer’s influence can still be found in the Fuzzi label’s embrace of color and pattern, along with its fearless use of embellishments and mixed prints.

Anna Maria continues to operate as the company’s president from Fuzzi’s factory in Cattolica, while North American operations have come under the creative direction of Marianne Hicks. Recent collections have stepped up the fashion factor with the aim of attracting a more diverse female audience. (Fuzzi’s factory also produces some of the best jerseys and merino knits in Italy.) “We’re constantly thinking from a woman’s point of view. Our fabrics conform and camouflage in all the right places,” says Hicks. The fall 2015 collection is feminine yet highly wearable, dominated by dark, moody prints and tasteful embellishments including lace and fringe. Inspired by the idea of “illusion,” Hicks played with zippers that open and close to reveal underlying pattern, as well as fused garments that look like separates but are actually one piece, taking the guesswork out of fall layering. Jacquards and animal prints give merino outerwear pieces the illusion of winter-like texture, but are made in seasonless weights that work for southern climates. “We try to inject added value into each piece, so every collection includes five or six convertible items: long skirts with fold-down waists that double as maxi dresses, pants that convert to jumpsuits, or ponchos that can also be worn as scarves,” says Hicks. “We’re not a basics company. Fuzzi is designed for women who aren’t afraid to stand out.”