Anna Molinari has infectious energy and enthusiasm to spare. “I’ve always loved to travel, especially in my imagination,” she enthused. “I’m a dreamer and a romantic. Femininity is a shimmering affair, always changing, never the same. One day I’m a gypsy, the next day I’m a bourgeois; my style is full of contrasts.” It was as if a Victorian lady-of-the-manor, tired of night walks in her rose-scented garden, decided to fly to Ibiza for a bit of psychedelic romance, then, liking the experience and craving even more fun, landed in the Caribbean for a frenzied round of salsa.
This crazy travelogue pretty much summed up the Blumarine spirit this season. A romantic theme of roses was highlighted in flowy, long dresses of printed chiffon, in tailored blazers worn with plissé palazzo pants, and in masculine printed shirts paired with micro-shorts. A folk inspiration was visible in a series of short caftans worn with mink intarsia-ed waistcoats, in tiered dresses in crisp poplin printed with bandanna motifs and ornamented with crochet lace, and in trapeze dresses in white cotton voile inspired by antique lingerie and paired with suede fringed gilets.
The references were handled lightly; the approach was modern and unfussy, while retaining the label’s signature girly flair. As for the tropical vibe, it was displayed in ruched one-shouldered tops worn with slim capri pants, or in tiered salsa skirts in vibrant shades of fuchsia and lipstick red.
