Krizia

Krizia’s 1964 presentation in the Sala Bianca at Palazzo Pitti was the Milan house’s first autonomous major runway show. Mariuccia Mandelli built the collection around black and white, using a sharply graphic palette at the point when Krizia was moving from a small ready-to-wear operation towards broader national and international recognition. Later accounts describe pleated dresses and compact cardigans within the collection, while the exact season and formal title are unknown.

The show received the Critica della Moda prize and became the decisive public breakthrough of Mandelli’s early career. Its importance lies in the combination of a clear visual proposition, a major Italian runway platform and institutional recognition. The collection established Krizia as a significant voice in Italian ready-to-wear while preserving the distinction between the house’s 1957 public debut at SAMIA and its larger 1964 runway breakthrough.