Condolences to Gabriele “Bebe” Moratti, whose father Gian Marco passed away at 81 last Monday. This was big news in Italy—I caught it via the news bulletin shown on the Rome express train—where the Moratti family is a big noise in petrochemicals and politics (Bebe’s mom, Letizia, was formerly Milan’s mayor).
Even before this sad event, Moratti had been wrestling with his notion of Redemption. On a visit to his studio four weeks ago, he had barely finished showing Pre-Fall and was only beginning to work on this one. Although the collection sells well, as a senior retailer attested at the show, the pace of today’s commercial cycle is a grind. Preshow, Moratti said he was planning to spend more time on fewer collections.
The soundtrack was Aznavour and Piaf and many elements in this collection were hat tips (not least, the hats) to Yves Saint Laurent. Moratti characterized it as “a love letter to this city that gives me the most inspiration.” With the exception of this season’s anti-Trump tee (“Impeach”), some houndstooth spray-paint screen print on fur, and some red biker pants, this was far less daywear and far less grunge than Moratti has gone recently.
Yet there was tangible attitude in the clothes: printed sequin houndstooth pants with matching boots and some wide-legged, tapered, high-belted black leather pants were elevated and emphatic. Halter-neck high-hemmed ruffle dresses and strapless sheath minis with floor-length ruffle trains in printed fil coupe were evocatively provocative. Dungarees in dévoré velvet leopard with a matching trench were don’t-need-to-workwear.
Moratti’s brand delivers sleekly uncomplicated luxury-glamor in a compellingly clear contemporary voice.
