Fulvio Rigoni presented his second collection for Salvatore Ferragamo today. In a preview, he said he approached the task with four words in mind: “dynamic, sensual, luxe, comfortable.” He opened with a nipped waist blazer in dove gray leather—leather being the house’s stock in trade—worn with a sleek turtleneck and slit silk skirt in matching hues, and accessorized with a violet crocodile clutch and platform-soled, stacked heel booties by Ferragamo women’s footwear design director Paul Andrew. That first look set a lean, elongated line that Rigoni pursued from beginning to end; whether he was cutting sheaths, the sleeveless versions of which were accompanied by matching shrugs suspended from shoulder harnesses, or was pairing fine knit sweaters with narrow, fold-over waist skirts. The pants he showed were likewise slim—sometimes leggings-tight—and high-waisted.
It’s a demanding, rigorous, and (some argued) cold silhouette; one that he added some interest to with the use of abstracted animal patterns or bright fruity shades of pink, purple, and orange. Elsewhere, the chenille fabric of a black blazer had a great feel in the hand. "It wears like a cardigan," Rigoni said. He also used it for a trompe l'oeil slip dress/turtleneck combo that looked layered but was actually only one piece. A simple puffed down square with armholes was a clever, modern alternative to an evening wrap. His coats came with expressive collars that added some drama to the proceedings. Overall, though, drama was in too short supply here. Rigoni's task for next season will be imbuing his Ferragamo with more soul.
