At Agnona, Accessories and a Spotlight on Evening Wear

MILAN, Italy — With contemporary evening wear, luxury hand bags and model Dree Hemingway as its new fresh face, Agnona no longer resembles your mum's sweater brand of choice.

Still true to Agnona's roots in luxury knitwear, Stefano Pilati fueled the label into the future with his Collezione Uno pre-fall 2014 women's wear line, which was made ready to purchase during Milan Fashion Week.

In its second season (the first was entitled Collezione Zero), and in light of the brand's recent Marcolin eyewear license deal, there was a noted focus on expanding the accessories line.

The "Cara" tote — the first designed by Pilati for the Italian house — was perched on a table supported by sheep legs, reminding the fashion community of the Zegna family's century-old history and its first wool mill in the Alpine foothills.

Available in "Granato" calf leather, crocodile and ostrich, the 1950's-inspired bag is embellished with vintage-style locks and keys, double-zipped closures and external straps to hold cantankerous items like newspapers.

The presentation also cast a spotlight on Agnona's expanded evening wear line, which included retro floor length dresses, and tops in Crepe Romaine silk and double-faced cashmere. Decorated with wavy stripes, the looks resonated Pilati's reported love for surfing the waves of Hawaii.

Striped outer wear jackets fashioned in cashmere and mohair were also reminiscent of surfer fashions, while chunky-knit turtle-neck dresses made of wool and shearling infused the collection with a relaxed bohemian edge.

"A collection of timeless must haves to complete a wardrobe for a woman's very luxurious lifestyle, that includes feeling and looking comfortably beautiful and warmly sensual in every occasion," Pilati said.