Tucked among the evening pouches on a table backstage at Philosophy tonight was a spray of dried leaves wrapped with a red ribbon. Though he spent years behind the scenes in Milan, designer Lorenzo Serafini is still relatively new at heading up his own label. Before the models took to the runway, he burned the leaves for good luck, sort of like you'd smudge sage to clear energy from a space. It¹s a ritual he began at his first show, but he's making his own luck these days.
Serafini's new Spring collection was a charmer. Inspired by The Blue Lagoon (there's often a Brooke Shields reference with Serafini), it filtered the Victoriana we've been seeing elsewhere through an ’80s lens. Wide studded leather wrap belts and slouchy white ankle boots accessorized ruffled silk slip dresses. Necklines plunged or slipped off one shoulder; hems were left purposefully frayed. There was a sense of artful disarray, as if Serafini didn't want his girl to look like she tries too hard. In that sense, he could be Italy's answer to Isabel Marant, whose own unstudied style of chic has gone worldwide.
Serafini operates at a price point similar to Marant's. It's a sweet spot for young women: worth saving up for, but not so outrageously expensive the clothes remain just a dream. There certainly were some dreamy frocks here: Taylor Hill's long floral print with pearl buttons on the bodice; Romee Strijd's shorter version inset with a deep lace panel at the back. Serafini's news came in the form of frayed denim: He paired a bibbed blouse, corset, and short shorts with matching denim boots. Call it a Milanese tuxedo, call it adorable.
