For her couture presentation, Luisa Beccaria chose a phantasmagorically charming hôtel particulier, the 18th-century Hôtel de Gesvres, replete with so much extraordinary antique furniture it would make a World of Interiors spread look bare in comparison. In the dimly lit grand entrance, the wedding gown Beccaria recently designed for Lady Gabriella Kingston (née Windsor) was displayed in its exquisite glory. The ravishing Ella, as she is known—tall, blonde, and looking like a character in a fairy tale—was on hand to support her friend Luisa and daughter Lucilla, waxing lyrical about their talent: “I have huge admiration for them. I love wearing their creations; the fusion of vintage and modern, of feminine and strong, is very unique,” she said.
Beccaria named the collection the Alchemy of Lightness; it was indeed ethereal and enchanting, with a delicate, subtle palette of faded blues, pinks, and lilacs gracing impalpable evening concoctions of silk tulle, wispy organza, and finely embroidered mousseline. Moving about the salons, the models looked like translucent nymphs in a dream of romantic, féerique decadence.
Yet Beccaria’s creations, as dreamy and fragile as they can appear, are made for modern times. Shapes were kept pure and fairly simple, and the fabrications’ lightness added a sense of breezy ease of movement. The Beccarias are women designing for women: Sometimes it just makes the difference.