Text by Jesse Scott
Photography by Louise Daniel
“Our woman is a rockstar,” the ever-charismatic Bebe Moratti told Rain following the dramatic show celebrating the 10th anniversary of his brand. Exquisitely encapsulating the uninhibited and unapologetic glamor that has made Redemption a red carpet favorite over the past ten years, the show was Moratti’s tribute to the bold and the timeless–and most importantly to the people that bring his vision to life.
From iridescent quasi-transparent black dresses to lethal structured blazers and dramatic ruffled roses, the collection was Moratti’s own Greatest Hits album. Sixteen brand new looks swaggered down the runway interspersed with iconic Redemption pieces originally designed in seasons past, delighting a star-studded front row including Francesca Tocca and Mara Lafontan.
The collection, notable for its couture-style flair and detailing, was a trip through a time capsule that cohesively recalled some of Bebe’s most beloved sartorial moments. Yet as he told Rain, the showcase was not “self-celebratory” but instead designed to “pay homage to the people that made us who we are—our customers, our fans, and especially everyone who works at Redemption…the seamstresses, the pattern-makers, everyone I spend countless sleepless nights with working on the collections.”
The collection also paid homage to the impressively broad range of music that has soundtracked Moratti’s life and served as a moodboard for his designs over the past decade. “It’s ten years of listening to very different genres…usually all of our shows were inspired by different genres,” he said. “I listen to a lot of different things. Classical music to heavy metal to punk rock to folk to, of course, grunge.” When asked if there was a specific genre that inspired him during this 10th anniversary period, Moratti responded: “My playlists are so many and so vast; I just go with whatever I feel that day.”
Embrace Who You Are: An Unapologetic Tribute to Self
“Being a rockstar doesn’t mean anything besides being comfortable with who you are and not caring about what the rest of the world thinks,” Moratti told Rain. “I think that’s something the world really needs right now—self-acceptance and being yourself no matter what. The Redemption woman is inspired by people that created their own style and their own world. This [show] is what we try to give them.”
Moratti has always lived life on his own terms; as much as any designer I know, he embodies the philosophies he represents through his brand and defies industry convention while remaining at the absolute peak of his industry. Three seasons ago he spoke to me passionately about the importance of “getting off the hamster wheel,” a sentiment that he echoed in reflecting on ten years of Redemption. Unfazed by fleeting trends, Moratti has an innate understanding of his loyal clientele’s needs, is confident in his vision for the brand, and has executed that vision impeccably even in a drastically shifting fashion landscape. He has also remained true to his values, with his deep passion for music inspiring everything he designs and his vision for a better world remaining unshakeable
“[Redemption has] never really changed much,” he said. “I know what I know and I know what I love. I love music, I know what music stands for, and one of the reasons I’m passionate about rock & roll is not just the music but the fact that it stood across the decades for many human rights movements and it pushed them forward. A lot of people stood on the stage not only for music but…for something good. We need a lot of that right now; we need a lot of people to use their craft to bring a positive message to a world that has a lot of polarity and negativity.”
With fashion as his microphone, Moratti is striving to do this on the global stage that is his brand. “A lot of things have changed in the past ten years, but this world needs to change, still, so much,” he said. “In some places we’re actually going backwards instead of forwards,” he told Rain. “We’ll keep trying to be disruptive. We need to stand for something.”
Back to the Future: Moratti Looks Ahead
Moving forward into a new decade, Moratti is considering combatting overconsumption by reverting to the slower fashion of the 1990’s. However, in a rapidly changing world he’s happy to embrace each moment and go with the flow. “As for the future, I have no idea,” he said. “I know that I don’t want to do four collections a year because over-consumption is ridiculous. We’re probably going to go back to what was done in the 90’s and do collections…whenever, more spaced out.” This direction seems fitting for the brand. Moratti, who took his final bow looking effortlessly rock and roll in a Nirvana tee and backwards cap, referenced his love for the fierce silhouettes and devil-may-care attitude of the 90’s both in this season’s dramatically cut dresses and the soundtrack of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” resonating throughout the cavernous building in which they were showcased.
Held on the first night in what promises to be the biggest Milan Fashion Week since Covid, the “Ten” show was a magnificent start to the schedule and the perfect way to begin a new era for Redemption’s rockstars. Rest assured: rock and roll is safe in Moratti’s hands.
