Luisa Beccaria and her three daughters, with their cerulean eyes and long, dark locks, look like they came straight out of a portrait by the famous society painter Giovanni Boldini. It seems fitting that Beccaria will be one of the sponsors of the Italian artist’s retrospective that’s opening in March at Milan’s Villa Reale. But despite their delicate looks and good manners, Beccaria and her ample progeny (she has two sons as well) are a telling example of true Milanese entrepreneurial determination. Last year, three of her kids opened LùBar, a Sicilian restaurant also in the Villa Reale that quickly became popular.
The designer’s style couldn’t be less Milanese; chez the Beccarias, there’s no sight of the practical, efficient minimalism generally associated with the local fashion etiquette. But leading a very busy life always being dressed in her hyper-romantic frocks, she’s proof that you don’t need to only wear tracksuits, sneakers, and black piumini to look right.
This was in evidence for Pre-Fall, where Boldini was crossbred with the ’70s bohemian flair that the designer favors. The flowing floral dresses in silk georgette or chiffon that are the designer’s signatures were still here, yet Beccaria opted for renditions in more winter-friendly textures, like a gray flannel embroidered or appliquéd with butterfly motifs. She also introduced gentle masculine shapes, like a dandy-esque wool waistcoat paired with cropped culottes and an ethereal blouse; it looked delightfully Dickensian. The same air of romance could be felt in velvet wrap-around or tiered flowing dresses, printed with curlicues in dégradé hues of dusty pink and peacock blue. They looked enchanting, as did a long velvet number printed with a zig-zag pattern in shades of dark blue, black, and gray.
