Dao-Yi Chow presents debut collection for Sergio Tacchini

Dao-Yi Chow, co-founder of Public School, has showcased his new take on tennis apparel with his debut collection for Italian heritage label Sergio Tacchini during Pitti Uomo.

As the brand’s new creative director, Chow is marking a new era for the Italian brand, and for autumn/winter 2020 he is looking to introduce high fashion back into activewear, by looking “deeper” into the label’s tennis roots.

Entitled ‘Impossible Angle,’ Chow’s first collection for the brand ties together the “heritage where shapes, angles, chevrons and geometric blocking sit at the forefront of the tangible,” he explains in the show notes, inspired by the “many shapes made through movement by the players on court”.

Chow added: “Sergio Tacchini, the player was a disrupter himself helping to bring colour to the court - bucking the status quo of all white uniforms. We’re touching on this language but presenting colour in a new and fresh way by introducing a more muted, current colour palette.

“The past palette consists mainly of primary colours and pastel tones. We wanted to flip it to be wearable and more current for today. Court colours still inspire us today but much like the evolution of today’s court, we establish a new tone in which the Sergio Tacchini brand lives.”

Sergio Tacchini looks to its heritage for autumn/winter 2020 collection

The AW20 White Label collection references the early years of Tacchini, specifically the 1960s and 1970s where tailoring and cut play an important role, however, Chow has added a looser silhouette and plays with proportions.

While the main line collection is focused on what Chow calls “wearability and ease” inspired by the brand’s strong lifestyle heritage of the 1980s and 1990s, where the brand was best known for outfitting John McEnroe and LL Cool J.

Key pieces included cable-knit cardigans, colour-blocking nylon tracksuits, and retro trainers.

“For me, I was exposed to Sergio Tacchini through hip hop vs. tennis and wanted to share the progression of the brand through immersive bursts. This is what makes us unique,” explained Chow. “Today’s journey transports you through time, taking you right to our present to showcase how our past influences our future.”

Chow concluded: “The future of Tacchini is about connecting a new consumer, who is young and a reflection of today’s changing world.”

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Images: courtesy of Sergio Tacchini