Francesca Ruffini is certainly not a diva; her reserved, unassuming manners are actually the complete opposite. But, being a bookworm and a film buff, her fantasy world is densely populated. So the fabulousness of divas like Grace Kelly and Lauren Bacall lounging languidly in silk negligees came to the fore in her imagination, providing inspiration for her exquisite Fall collection.
Ruffini has calmly expanded her collection’s range; in her hands, pajamas and nightgowns have proved a malleable template. So far, she has morphed them into elegant dusters, opera coats, jackets, and even tuxedos. For Fall, dresses also joined the team, fluid and elongated, in pleated silk twill printed with romantic landscapes or luxuriant foliage. They looked so desirable, you just wanted to steal them directly from the mannequins where they were displayed in the husky penumbra of Ruffini’s vast drawing room.
The designer also introduced more substantial fabrics, like a heavenly soft jacquard mohair woven with a rose pattern; it was cut into a trapeze coat in a dark red shade and into a cape in a soft hue of greenish blue. She also had a thick velvet corduroy called roccia, used by rock climbers in the ’50s, reworked into a light dévoré texture and accented by sparkling Lurex threads. It was transformed into lean pajama pantsuits and dusters, worn over exotic cheongsam dresses, and reminiscent of the enchantingly erotic Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, one of Ruffini’s favorite movies. She might not be a diva, but she definitely understands seduction.
