Is Luca Orlandi the new P. Diddy? Maybe not quite—but his spring show certainly qualified as a media circus, packed to the rafters and including his favorite starlets (Mischa Barton, Jessica Simpson). But if the crowd was expecting the forthrightly sexy clothes that have been the focus of Orlandi's past two collections, they came to the wrong show. The only nasty action came via DJ Javier Peral, who played songs like "Diablo," "Dirty, Dirty," and "Money, Money, Money" (the "Bad Ass Strippa" version, no less).
For his part, Orlandi delivered a pretty, pastel-colored collection that returned to his roots. The show opened with an innocent bow-tied beige linen jacket; a lovely linen dress with an overlay of lace and ribbon continued the theme. Tweed jackets in Easter egg colors were worn with flowing full pants and finely gauged knits underneath. And heavily, sometimes overly embellished pieces—petal dresses and beaded and embroidered lace skirts—were reminiscent of fifties Italian design. But, as the finale dresses (made of linen dress, polka dot cotton, and white organza) proved, Orlandi's collection was a modern take on sweetness.
