THE MAKESHIFT
3D FINISH
The self-coined “3D” finish comprises a deconstruction technique where a single piece of clothing is entirely produced in two separate iterations of the same material, either also of the same colour, but sometimes in two different colorways. One of the layers is then laser cut into semi-identical square-shaped fragments, and sewn onto the base piece.
The fragments are sewn using a technique we colloquially deemed “X-ing”. The squares are sewn by applying four X-shaped corner stitches onto the square itself. In that way, the squares appears as though they are partially “hanging” from the base layer, creating a disheveled, lively, chaotic look.
The 3D finish on leather
The square with the X shapes on the corners is also the brand’s signature and is used on various detailing such as studs, special button caps, prints and more.
LEATHERS
We use a variety of Italian-made and economically-sourced leathers. With a quality perspective that is nothing short of perfectionist, the hides used in Milli clothes are of top grains, subtle textures, butter-soft suppleness, and high durability. While sourcing for leather, we spent years finding the true masters of craft.
The main component is our “Bovina” leather, a high grain calfskin box, made in Italy, that is beautifully transformable, supple to touch and wear, durable, and does a perfect job living alongside its wearer and providing an aesthetic relief during hard, unaesthetic times.
We also use soft and sensitive lambskins for shirting, t-shirts, and some of the pants. It provides similar durability, but is thinner, more structured, and much softer
Lambskin
Bovina
SILKS
Silk defines luxury in a sense. It is natural, flowy, drapy, versatile, and of unprecedented quality, as a fabric alone. We use silks in a different way, from our silk we wanted more structure, a hardened appeal, almost treating it as a workwear fabric. It is used in shirting, pants, and some outerwear.
We use an iteration of silk we like to call “nylonide” silk as it resembles a nylon/polyamide weave with a high sheen, a structured component, retaining its shape, and behaving almost like a paper-based fabric. It does not retain the typical drapiness and extra sensibility of silks. It is more sturdy, but very soft and luxurious
DENIM
Denim weave is an artwork all in itself and has a deep legacy of washes, techniques, densities, and many more. In respect to it, we take great care in picking and choosing our denim, which we use for outerwear, shirting, and pants.
Our stuff is produced from a top-shelf quality imported Japanese denim with a high ounce, high density, and natural washes, giving it almost a silky, extra fine appeal, along with retaining shape well, being comfortable, and lasting a lifetime.
We also produce some of our pieces using an Italian denim twill, one that is slightly more muted in texture, but retains all of the important properties nonetheless.
WOOLS & KNITS
Throughout our novel selection, we introduced a knit line that will span onwards, a mix of a ribbed knit texture and a boiled wool one. The ribbed knitted texture used in jumpers and knit bottoms is an all-Italian alpaca/merino blend that is soft to touch, very comfortable, and easy for applications such as cheniles and silk patches.
For outerwear, we use a melton-like pure Italian cashmere fabric used in classic Italian coats and jackets, one that is shiny, extremely soft and fine, and virtually immune to outside factors. It is one of the most expensive fabrics we use in our clothing.
HARDWARE
Details go a long, long way and there is no greater and more important detail than hardware: buttons, pullers, zipper chains, studs, caps
Our zippers are proudly made by Riri & YKK Excella, depending on the size needed.
Our pants and outerwear also carry custom Milli branding through specially designed button caps, both in shape as well as in visual identity.
POCKETS
It is no news that we love storage compartments, the clothes’ capability to serve as credible utility always amazed us, so placing a watchful eye on what those pockets should be was a sure play. All of our pockets are interchangeable, transforming even older pieces into fresh batches of goodness. And they are not exclusive to pants, they also serve their purposes on bags, backpacks and some of the jackets. They often include motifs from active artist collaborators as well as color schemes and narratives from their respective collections.
