Raffaela D’Angelo taps Larissa Iapichino for SS 2027 show in Milan

Raffaela D’Angelo brought World Ultimate and European champion Larissa Iapichino to the center of her SS 2027 runway show on Sept. 23 at Milan’s Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia. The collaboration linked fashion and sport around themes of lightness, elegance and performance, while previewing a collection shaped by Bali, natural fabrics and Italian craftsmanship.

Why it matters: - The show positioned sport and fashion as parallel expressions of discipline, technique and beauty. - Larissa Iapichino’s presence gave Raffaela D’Angelo’s SS 2027 collection a high-profile athletic reference point. - The collection’s focus on beach-couture, natural materials and Made in Italy craftsmanship targets a consumer who wants fashion that feels both refined and wearable.

What happened: - Raffaela D’Angelo chose Larissa Iapichino as guest of honor for the SS 2027 runway show. - Iapichino opened and closed the presentation on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia in Milan. - The event highlighted a meeting point between fashion and sport built around lightness, elegance and the idea of flight.

The details: - Iapichino is the 2026 World Ultimate and European champion. - D’Angelo linked the athlete’s jump technique to the creative process behind a garment, framing both as work shaped by sacrifice, dedication and passion. - Iapichino, born in 2002, first trained in artistic gymnastics before moving to athletics in 2015. - Her 2026 season included wins at the World Indoor Tour, silver at the Indoor World Championships in Torun, a new Italian record of 7.12 meters, European gold in Birmingham and the World Ultimate Champion title in Budapest. - Iapichino lives in Florence, studies law and has interests in fashion, art and photography. - The SS 2027 collection draws on Bali, with references to vegetation, rice fields, Canang Sari flowers and Indonesian spiritual symbolism. - The color palette includes pink, brown, yellow and fuchsia, alongside black and white tied to Indonesian spirituality. - The collection uses cotton, linen and viscose with sheer voile and crêpe de Chine. - Macramé, net structures, embroidery and three-dimensional floral applications create textured surfaces. - Delicate embroidered flowers on tulle turn swimsuits and dresses into couture-oriented beachwear. - Exclusive prints also use archives from the Como textile district to reinterpret Balinese floral motifs and temple decoration through Italian craft. - The lineup includes fluid caftans, lightweight jackets, shorts, skirts, micro tops and shirts.

Between the lines: - D’Angelo used Iapichino’s athletic image to reinforce a core brand message: strength and softness can coexist in the same silhouette. - The Bali references suggest a collection built less as a literal travel story and more as an aesthetic code for natural energy, spirituality and movement. - The emphasis on fabric, workmanship and archival prints signals a push to distinguish the collection through texture and craftsmanship rather than volume or spectacle.

What’s next: - The SS 2027 collection now moves from runway presentation into the market and editorial cycle. - Iapichino’s growing profile in athletics may keep her connected to fashion and brand collaborations beyond this show. - D’Angelo’s beach-couture positioning points to further collections centered on light, feminine pieces for travel and summer dressing.

The bottom line: - Raffaela D’Angelo used Larissa Iapichino’s momentum and image to frame SS 2027 as a collection where athletic power and coastal elegance meet.**