PRISCAVera is the NYC-based womenswear label established by Prisca Vera Franchetti. Embracing self-expression over style, the brand celebrates female individuality through custom fabrics, prints, and colors. On February 7th, Franchetti showcased her namesake’s Fall/ Winter 2020 collection at the General Society’s Library, honoring the multitude of women that inspire her. From suits to gowns, each look is designed for versatility, ease, and a dose of mischief. I spoke with Prisca post-show to discuss her key influences, creative process, and print symbolism:

What were your key influences while designing for Fall/Winter?

When I started the collection with Susan, it was like a blank canvas, and it can be a little scary. I had in mind: my friends, the customers, but also the people that I like, and the people that I would like to dress. I asked them, "what are you missing in your world," "what do you like?" and that became my inspiration. Designing this collection became a celebration of clothing and women in general. I want to build a wardrobe that every person can take something from and emphasize it with an already existing personality.

How would you describe this collection’s creative process?

Honestly, it happened naturally, and was a mix between necessity and the general vibe. When you have such a small team, and it's so fast-paced, trusting your instinct becomes very powerful. There's always a moment where you question, "Is this making sense?" but you just have to attempt it anyways.

If you could describe the overall vibe of the collection, how would you?

It was a little bit of everything, which was kind of the point. The logical thread surrounds the person wearing it, and their efforts to look cool, feel good and be comfortable. There were a lot of evening dresses, but even those are playful and suggest some sort of attitude. Then there are the day pieces, like the staple jeans, which still feature something special design-wise with the hand-painted fishes.

The main point in designing this collection was to have a lot of range, like a suit that feels comfortable; you can feel like you're meeting ready without feeling constricted in movement. We're trying to create pieces that make people ask, "Oh, where did you get that?" But what ties it all together is the woman that wears it. She's quite fun, and never taking life too seriously.

What was your intended symbolism for the fish and poppy prints?

It was funny because in the last show we did, one piece had sort of an outrageous connotation, and we started putting fish onto it. I decided to use it again on denim in this collection when one day, I was thinking about universal animals like fish and pigeons that are sort of everywhere in existence.

For the poppies, it was probably subconscious from a childhood memory. I got the idea from the fabric because it reminded me of something that was quite old Italian, very Monica Bellucci. The print is very playful but can also be quite refined, like on the gown, and it was nice to reverse the fabric in a way that highlighted the bust seam.