Francesco Scognamiglio is presenting his first haute couture collection in Paris at the beginning of July, which is quite an achievement for him. Preparations were in full swing at his Milanese headquarters while he was simultaneously getting his Resort lineup ready for buyers. “Let’s say that I can’t afford to get lazy,” he said. For a born-and-bred Neapolitan hailing from a city where living at a leisurely pace is the universal norm, enduring such stress is proof of quite a stamina.
Scognamiglio put a full array of references into his Resort collection. “I started thinking about a new Renaissance,” he said. “I played with historical floral prints and turned them into a sort of contemporary vintage.” He pointed out a cotton canvas midi dress with balloon sleeves. But then his penchant for a sexy
rock ’n’ roll look kicked in, manifesting itself in see-through bubblegum pink lace minidresses or black lace blousons paired with slinky satin tiered skirts and bustiers. Ultra-short slip dresses were testament to the designer’s longtime love of a luxe bedroom aesthetic. Elsewhere, a few white poplin dresses and tunics had a more subdued, almost virginal feel, yet a touch of slightly perverse, dark romanticism kept the sensuality factor quite high. To add to the already densely mixed lineup, a graphic animal print was introduced on long tiered chiffon dresses and canvas city coats, along with an abstract floral motif that appeared on dresses and skirts that played with asymmetries and layers.
