You could pretty much divvy up the new Alberta Ferretti collection into two groups: the minimal and the maximal. The minimal was not so minimal, though—trading on a travel theme, Ferretti executed nice updates on the classic safari style, and then proceeded to elaborate the jet-set tone of those clothes with romantic black evening looks in metal-dipped plissé and daywear in denim that had been laser-cut and embroidered in eyelet patterns. The minimalism came via the neutral palette, but was suggested as well in the straightforward appeal of these items. For all their flourishes, they were rather matter-of-fact, as garments go. The second, vividly patterned group found Ferretti's city girl at large in Bali or thereabouts. Printed maxi dresses and skirts had a serious hippie vibe: These are the things a woman imagines herself wearing when she daydreams about quitting her job and becoming a beachcomber who lives off the grid. Needless to say, Ferretti's take on that fantasy was a good deal more polished than the real, market-stall-scavenged thing. She also injected a bit of that fantasy into clothes that would serve at the day job—to wit, the tailored pieces in necktie jacquards. As a whole, this collection seemed less about clothes meant to be worn on vacation than ones that interpolated a romantic, free-spiritedness into looks that were more or less urbane.
