There was something different at the Alberta Ferretti show today, and we’re not talking about the giant aluminum sculpture by Lorenzo Quinn in the center of the room. Kaia Gerber’s show-opening outfit was a silver-studded black denim jumpsuit. Ferretti is Milan’s resident expert in chiffon and tulle. What was a denim all-in-one doing here? Backstage she explained herself: “Women today have changed, and fashion needs to speak in a different way. It shouldn’t be so correct, it should show personality.” She’s right about that, so how did Ferretti go about giving her lineup that new personality? By threading a big-shouldered, high-waisted ’80s vibe through it, by adding that denim (not just black, but an acid-washed blue, too), and by sending a for-millennials-only pants-less look down the runway.
That the show was bookended by Gerber (2.9 million Instagram followers) and Gigi Hadid (38.5 million) can’t be a coincidence. In 2018, it’s these young women who are setting trends, and Gigi could just as easily have walked off the runway and into her real life in her mohair sweater and Lurex-shot pants as Kaia could in her jumpsuit. Also: the ’80s are a big story of the season. But there’s a risk inherent in following: A designer can cede her own voice. The evening story, with its tremblant sequins and boudoir-y feathers, was truer to Ferretti’s long-held romantic inclinations. Edita Vilkeviciute looked like a goddess in her metallic lamé Grecian gown. The trick for Ferretti going forward will be finding a more satisfying balance between the Instagram set’s latest fascinations and her tried-and-true signatures.
