What remains when couture is stripped to its essence? At Palazzo Venart in Venice, Romi Loch Davis presents The Very Last Layer, a performance-driven exhibition that deconstructs fashion to explore the stories, memories, and identities woven into every garment
In the enchanting setting of the 15th-century Palazzo Venart in Venice, on October 20, 2026, as part of Radar Venezia 2026, the fashion brand Romi Loch Davis presented The Very Last Layer / L’ultimo spessore, an exhibition curated by Lorenzo Cinotti.
The South African couturière, founder of the eponymous brand and deeply connected to Venice, as well as to her South African roots and her years spent in Paris, brings to the Italian city an exploration of the act of subtraction. Through the gradual removal of the layers that make up a garment, the designer investigates what remains beneath the surface, questioning what lies at its most intimate and essential core.
The exhibition opens with a performance featuring four women: a model, an actress, a violinist, and a seamstress. Together, they take part in the gradual deconstruction of a garment, creating a dialogue between body, material, and memory. Fabrics from distant places and traditions emerge throughout the process, including Spanish brocades, Indian saris, French lace and velvet, and even “Russian coats, from another life in Paris.” Each material becomes a witness to a personal and creative journey, transforming the garment into a narrative woven from experiences, places, and identities.
The brand’s origins can be traced back to the designer’s childhood in South Africa, where she developed a strong sensitivity to textiles from an early age, experimenting with fabrics that she would rework, transform, and dye herself. After completing her studies in Cape Town, she moved to Paris, where she founded her own label and developed a distinctive aesthetic language. Her style, characterized by Victorian influences, emerges from the combination of elements of South African culture, references to French couture, and the rich decorative traditions of Venice.
This attention to materials and their history is also reflected in the brand’s production philosophy, which embraces a slow fashion approach. Creations are predominantly made to order, with production times typically ranging from six to eight weeks, using traditional techniques and the expertise of highly skilled craftswomen. This approach celebrates quality, individuality, and artisanal craftsmanship, standing in contrast to the logic of fast, standardized production.
With The Very Last Layer / L’ultimo spessore, Romi Loch Davis takes this vision beyond the boundaries of dressmaking, transforming the garment into a means of artistic exploration. Subtraction becomes a way of revealing not only the material structure of clothing, but also the memories and identities held within its layers.
