Following her journey through the canyons at midnight, Gilda Midani sets her sights out to sea.

The skies above her native Rio darken to blue and black as evening falls – a stellar tapestry that washes into an ocean just as serene. In dye baths replete with indigo and cerulean, she dips her pieces by hand to reveal a depth of intense color.

The core design for this collection, Blue Row, is an ode to blue in all its forms. Striking and organic, a succession of lapis, azure and periwinkle surges against the others like tides on white sand.

The unseen beauty of Gilda’s works lies in her keen eye for drape. The way her fabrics – often linen, cotton and silky velvet – flow against the form is just as important as the way her colors and patterns meld in her compositions.

Floating amongst the currents of Gilda’s Blue Row is a feeling of vastness – not unlike the inspiration found in Darren Almond’s moon-exposed photography. The pattern sweeps in two directions, revealing space in the middle of the garment – simultaneously a wink and a dismissal of nature’s symmetry. We are awed not only by how incredibly difficult these dyes are to perfect, or how soft the textiles feel against skin… but by how a wash of blue across cotton can immediately transport us to a shore after dusk. The ability to do all these things, with such clear pleasure in doing so… therein lies the power of Gilda and her work.

“Limitless and immortal, the waters are the beginning and end of all things on earth.”

— Heinrich Zimmer

Deeply inspired by the organic surroundings of her Brazilian studio, Gilda Midani is never far from nature.

Her hand-dyed works are a marvel, capturing the immense emotion of the environment through abstract color and pattern. Akin to the artwork of Darren Almond – a British photographer who specializes in landscapes exposed solely by the full moon – Gilda’s Fall/ Winter 2023 collection reveals a panorama of earthy brown and red, softened by the dark tones of night.

Cotton corduroy tops and egg pants are a treat we only see in Gilda’s fall collections. Not only are they soft to the hand, but the material takes dye incredibly well – leading to an intense presentation of color across these styles.

French terry, a smoother and softer knit than its terrycloth cousin, features prominently in Gilda’s hoodie selection. Stylish and sporty while maintaining Gilda’s key earthiness, these pieces are among our favorites season after season.

Gilda’s designs invite delicious curiosity – the scope of her abstracted vista is too broad to comprehend with just one look. Her designs are far from artificial or trite. This vital tangle of dyes is informed by centuries of spirituality and symbolism born from the mingling of cultures of Brazil. To consider her collections, one must consent to be swept through this world of primal, ancestral aesthetics, stand at the precipice of Gilda’s canyon of color and dive in without hesitation.

As we follow her into the depths, stay tuned for part two.

“In the dark of a moonless night, the canyon suggests unimaginable mysteries.”

— John Wesley Powell

Gilda Midani’s collections are for the adventurer at heart.

With each delivery, we are transported to spectacular places. In these locales, wildness and freedom reign and the clothes so perfectly reflect the place and time. Our discovery? The ancient, sheer-walled table-mountain massifs that comprise the Gran Sabana of Venezuela.

Equatorial sun floods across the moist, jungle-covered plateaus. Water cascades over Angel Falls – the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall – and mixes with the tannin-rich rivers of the Yuruaní, Aponwao, Kukenán, Suruku, Ikabarú, Karuay, Urimán and Antabare.

As the Northern Hemisphere shifts towards fall, Gilda’s collection of richly-colored, mineral-dyed pieces are in conversation with this locale. The new colors and styles remain unified by the underlying dyeing techniques, from the primitive beeswax batik to the ancient shibori of Japan.

Says Gilda about her work: “I’m fascinated by the textures of nature, and by the imprint that time leaves on surfaces, and by its effect on things and on people.”