Since arriving at Philosophy two years ago, Lorenzo Serafini has made a signature of reviving and making relevant the looks of past decades. He usually works a ’70s/’80s angle, often with a nod to Brooke Shields, his favorite actress of the era. This season, he aimed his sights a bit further back, to the early ’60s, explaining, “It’s a reaction to our uncertain period; I looked for a more joyful time.”
Think ’60s and think joyful, and if you’re a fashion person, Biba comes to mind. Barbara Hulanicki’s lively London emporium sold leggy smocks at low prices to young women. The store opened at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and was sold out by 11, Hulanicki was fond of saying. With its beruffled necklines and thigh-skimming hems, as well as its corduroy hot pants topped by cropped Lurex vests and printed blouses, Serafini’s new Philosophy collection captures the verve of the Biba look, only with much finer materials. You can be sure Hulanicki wasn’t selling real shearling coats or glossy eco-leather pants.
Serafini’s strong suit is his dresses. He has minis for Pre-Fall, and he has maxis. The best of the bunch were a pair of midi-length shirtdresses in a delicate star print and a bolder cherry motif. They harked back to the joyful old days, but they also looked precisely now.
