'universo cancellato' knitwear adapts to different body shapes + heights

‘Universo Cancellato’ redefines size in fashion

Diletta Cancellato is an Italian fashion designer specializing in sustainable knitwear couture to improve garment durability and reduce material waste. Her latest project, ‘Universo Cancellato’ (cU), reveals a new way of thinking about size by creating everyday pieces that adapt to the body and not the other way around. The collection will be presented during Milan Design Week, running between June 6 and June 12, 2022.

‘cU is a knitwear brand that offers contemporary, comfortable, and versatile clothes designed to fit the bodies of as many people as possible. To do so, it works on engineered shapes and elasticity through knitwear. It is a continuously developing research and design path which aims to create clothing without excluding any size, age, gender, or physical abilities. The extreme versatility and adaptability of the cU garments allow the optimization of purchases and the extension of garment life,’ explains Cancellato.

jacket with kissed closure + inverted pleat trousers | all images © Universo Cancellato

using height as a new metric for greater accessibility

Each ‘Universo Cancellato’ piece (see more here) offers a soft and abundant fit by resting on, wrapping around, and adapting to the body. Meanwhile, elasticated cuffs and straps support and embrace the garment with more firmness. The key pieces from the knitwear collection are the jacket with kissed closure, inverted pleat trousers, and wide asymmetrical skirt.

Unlike standard sizes found on the market (XS, XL, etc.), the brand uses height as a metric to accommodate a larger pool of users, ranging between 1.30m and over 1.90m. To find their ideal fit based on height and preference, customers can follow a size guide on the website before ordering their custom garments.

wide asymmetrical skirt

gender neutral, airy, and highly customizable

Taking to Instagram, the brand describes its key pieces as follows: ‘Jacket made with a slightly textured stitch that gives it structure while leaving it soft and comfortable at the same time. The shoulders are designed so that the Jacket adapts perfectly to different body shapes. On the front, it has a kissed closure […] with a magnet. The fit is loose but can be adjusted thanks to the black strap. Also knitted, the strap can be left open, tied on the back or on in front of the belly.

On the other hand, the ‘elegant and extremely comfortable trousers, [are] characterized by a black elastic waistband with a high waist and wide pleats on the front. Equipped with American pockets, it has a loose and soft fit, with a slight narrowing at the bottom of the leg.’ Finally, the ‘wide asymmetrical skirt [offers] a pleasant feeling of airiness and lightness.’

jacket with kissed closure + inverted pleat trousers