Zurich became the cradle of a new creative chapter as Pignatelli Atelier unveiled its début during Couture Fashion Night at The Circle Convention Center. The moment marked a decisive turning point for the historic Italian house, introducing a women’s line shaped by the refined, incisive vision of Swiss designer Jean Luc Amsler. Known for his mastery within Parisian haute couture and his work alongside major European maisons, Amsler brings a sensibility that is both sculptural and soulful—exactly the kind of perspective that can widen the brand’s orbit without disturbing its gravitational pull toward sartorial tradition.
Under the entrepreneurial direction of Francesco Gianfala, Pignatelli has entered a deliberate new phase: contemporary growth realized with cultural awareness and an eye toward the next generation. Pignatelli Atelier becomes an instrument of this ambition, a line that honors the brand’s craftsmanship while projecting it forward with intention. This first collection is conceived as an upcycling project, composed entirely of one-of-a-kind pieces crafted within the Pignatelli studio. The house’s men’s vintage department becomes fertile ground, offering archival foundations that are reimagined with an elevated, modern lens. The result is a dialogue between memory and transformation—fashion as narrative rather than adornment.
Silhouettes shift between architectural strength and poetic ease. Masculine fabrics reveal their expressive potential when tailored for a woman who possesses presence rather than passivity. In every look, there is a sense of cultivated nonconformity, an identity both intellectual and instinctive. The garments oscillate between two distinct yet intertwined temperaments: dramatic couture constructions with ceremonial gravitas, and essential pieces touched quietly by theatricality—subtle embers rather than flames.
Amsler grounds the collection in a muse whose legend feels almost cinematic: the Countess of Castiglione, the enigmatic “Pearl of Italy,” remembered for her beauty, audacity, and defiant independence. Her mysterious aura becomes a blueprint for a modern woman who is unbound, slightly gothic in spirit, and exquisitely aware of her own power. The clothes seem to follow the contours of her mythology, weaving together discipline and decadence with a contemporary clarity.
On the runway, a curated selection of men’s garments accompanied the women’s looks—pieces from the Pignatelli archive reworked by Creative Director Francesco Pignatelli. Through their presence, the show offered a portrait of a house in artistic conversation with itself: the past informing the future, the future reshaping the past. It is a gesture of expansion, a widening of the brand’s identity rather than a departure from it.
Francesco Pignatelli describes Pignatelli Atelier as a “natural transition,” a bridge connecting heritage and evolution. The line does not replace existing collections; it enriches them, appealing to a discerning, younger clientele devoted to authenticity, rarity, and the enduring prestige of true Made in Italy craftsmanship. With its unveiling in Zurich, Pignatelli Atelier positions itself as an emblem of renewal. The collection will be available in the brand’s monobrand boutiques in Turin and Milan, where the next chapter awaits.
