In the context of the somewhat hidebound system of seasonal trend chasing that beleaguers Italian fashion shows, Rossella Tarabini deserves more recognition for breaking free from constraints. "I don't want to do a show just for the sake of it," she said. "I've fought with myself to do something young women will really want to wear, that has consistency." For the second season running, Tarabini followed her instinct for an edgier point of view at Anna Molinari. Instead of casting around for an overt change from Fall, the designer continued where she left off, working with short black-and-white striped knits, now layering in tiered schoolgirl box-pleat skirts and menswear-derived jackets and vests. That doesn't fit the mold of theme-led passages that used to prevail at this label, but it's a wise move. For the first time, Tarabini is giving the brand a chance to speak to a broader international twentysomething audience, and she should keep the resolve to develop it further.
