In its heyday, Cerruti's womenswear elegantly tempered men's tailoring with soft sensuality. It's an aesthetic that Richard Nicoll instinctively understands, as proven by a Resort collection that featured structured jackets layered over elongated, silky draped tops, or an overcoat in double-faced gabardine topping tapered, printed pants. Nicoll's clothes are distinctly urban in their impact. Here, he deconstructed an oversized mac and put it back together again as a chic biker jacket, and used a substantial jersey for a cobalt blue pantsuit that offered a smart, athletic update to power dressing. "For the active working woman," the designer said with a laugh. It was the kind of outfit that exemplified the "bourgeois codes of dressing" Nicoll thinks are fundamental to Cerruti. Still, a white organza jacket with linen lapels was equally part of his equation. He paired it with a tank and bermudas for a seductive take on the city suit. With time, Nicoll may very well give Cerruti a running chance at a renaissance.
