One of the most essential aspects of our commitment to beauty is supporting emerging brands. This effort includes the newest addition to Santa Fe Dry Goods, Ōtzĭo. Designed by Claudio Aritzu in London, the designs are incredibly fresh— as if they were conceived on the balmy shores of the Mediterranean rather than the UK’s stony cobbles. Claudio embodies the next generation of designers, having studied at the London College of Fashion, developed textiles for Schiaparelli and worked as the Head of Prints under Dries Van Noten.
Claudio’s Ōtzĭo is inspired by the concept of ōtĭum. This unusual latin term was used by Seneca, the Ancient Roman philosopher, to describe a particular kind of contemplative leisure, wherein the mind can wander down the garden paths of introspection and discover a higher form of creativity.
Jumping Right In
While this is a newer label, having only released two collections, Ōtzĭo has already made a splash with visionary designs and incredible fabric textures. Claudio approaches dress boldly, both with his plays of color and his use of textile as shape. This first collection is notable for its juxtaposition of two silk weaves: twill and organza. The weighted drape of the former falls like liquid over the body, while the stiffness of the latter fosters an architectural silhouette.
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Kaftan in Blue
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Kaftan in Orange & Silk Pants in Green
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Organza Long Shirt in Blue & Silk Pants in Green
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Kaftan in Blue styled with the Silk Organza Scarf in Orange
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Organza Shirt in Navy & Yellow Ombre
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Organza Long Shirt in Green & Silk Pants in Green
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Kaftan in Orange styled with the Silk Organza Scarf in Orange
One of the stand-outs from the collection is Pierre-Louis’ Reversible Silk Kimono.
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Kaftan in Orange
Sita wears Ōtzĭo’s Silk Top in Oristano Blue
These designs may not be for the everyday, however we find them deeply prescient in the current moment. Times of intense upheaval tend to birth equally intense innovation and artistry. Designers like Claudio provide an inspirational, and often optimistic, path forward, wherein the fire of creativity acts as a salve for the mind (and heart.) There is little else that matters more than nurturing its presence in our shared world… and we have found that stoking the flames of inspiration is well worth the burn.
