Lorenzo Serafini got his moment in the spotlight last night. The new creative director of Philosophy has been toiling behind the scenes here in Milan for a decade and a half. He's no newbie, and it showed in his well-crafted debut. Originally born as a little sister line for Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy has wobbled a bit in recent years. Moving the show to New York didn't serve it well, and along the way it strayed from its feminine roots. Serafini's first task was bringing the show back home, and the second was reinjecting it with some romance.
The designer has had a lifelong crush on Brooke Shields, and pictures of her—dating from her Pretty Baby breakthrough on through the famous Calvin Klein Jeans campaign—decorated his mood board. The ruffly tie-neck blouses and high-waisted dungarees she was probably wearing in those early-'80s days were the collection's building blocks, alongside which Serafini added in special pieces like a fisherman's knit cape or a color-blocked double-face cashmere poncho or four-leaf-clover-print overalls. Pin-tucking and pearl buttons gave dresses in short and long lengths a whiff of Victoriana, and a smoking with a relaxed shape had a touch of vintage Saint Laurent. Both things are in the fashion ether at the moment, which will help Serafini's cause. But what could really be key are his perfect-fit high-waisted jeans. He was paying attention when Shields said, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins."
