Molto fresca. Those were the words Rosella Jardini used for her Cheap & Chic collection, but they were a spot-on description of the production itself, too. Having rejected tidy rows of seats in favor of an elevated runway and a cavernous space through which waiters passed with prosecco and pizza, she said, "It's more like a party, not a show." After everyone had enjoyed a drink and a slice, the models took to the catwalk, pausing halfway to blow kisses at the crowd and—here's something novel—it wasn't only the girl in the SMILE sweater flashing her pearly whites.
And why not? There was nothing po-faced about the lemon-print dresses or the knit chiffon sweaters studded with Gobstopper pearls, or the raffia bags embroidered with faux coral and turquoise. Patchworks of polka dots in girly shades of peach, mint, coral, and lilac were positively effervescent, but Jardini didn't neglect less bubbly types. For them, there was a black eyelet shirtdress with a yellow ruffle down the front and a black and white Vichy check dress. When the models came back for the finale and stayed on the stage dancing away, the people in the crowd were smiling, too. Mission accomplished.
