A sparkling black trench, a herringbone suit fitted through the waist and worn with extra-wide cuffed trousers, a swingy coat in an exaggerated check…. Graeme Black at Ferragamo, like other Milan designers, traded in last season's curvaceous dresses for a more tailored expression. The Bourse, then, made a fitting, if perhaps a bit too obvious, setting for his new sharp and masculine focus. In fact, there was an overstated quality to the show's blown-out menswear patterns. Likewise the mirrored runway that provided multiple viewing angles for the house's raison d'être: platform sandals, wedges, and knee-high boots in gleaming crocodile (as well as structured totes and large envelope clutches done in the same).
Evening, naturally, was a more feminine affair. Black played up the back view, showing a long sequin dress with a triangular cutout between the shoulder blades and a velvet column that dipped behind from a beaded strap. The shorter crystal-embroidered dress that closed the show had a swingy A-line shape, and a sweet bow that peeked out above a scoop back. But in the end, its novel charm wasn't enough to rescue this collection from its overbearing beginnings.
