Having handed over the reins at Philosophy to Natalie Ratabesi, Alberta Ferretti is devoting all of her attention to her signature line. Coincidentally or not, it's signaled a shift in her thinking. Ferretti has long been known for her romantic, super-feminine designs. She hasn't abandoned them entirely for pre-fall, but there was a new focus on daywear and a minimalist sensibility to outfits like a peplum top and cropped, tapered pants worn with a fox-fur shrug, or a chunky, short-sleeve ribbed sweater accompanied by a floor-length printed chiffon skirt. The woman behind Milan's most ethereally pretty dresses can also cut a mean tuxedo, it turns out. Its jacket comes with clever slits on the side seams, ensuring it's a good fit for gals with size-0 hips, as well as much wider. The reduced new look extended to the limited-edition portion of the collection. Amid the familiar crystal-embroidered chiffons, it was the strapless dresses in streamlined radzimir that looked the freshest.
