Designers are sometimes rather verbose when explaining their collections. That wasn’t the case today with Alberta Ferretti. Backstage after the show she telegraphed her message concisely: “Daywear. Tailoring. Feminine,” she said. Her focus on feminine tailored daywear was difficult to miss—the show’s attitude was as assertive as the designer’s statement.
If you think of Ferretti as the queen of flimsy romantic frocks, think again. She has abdicated that role and dropped the crown. The new route she has taken is much more pragmatic and efficient, in keeping with fashion’s zeitgeist. For fall she amped up the boldness factor too. The show opened with a pitch-black leather ensemble: an oversized, puffed up, tight-belted jacket with high-waisted ’80s harem pants tucked into high-heeled slouchy boots. It oozed confidence—and felt a little ominous perhaps.
The Do-Not-Dare-to-Mess-With-Me vibe was carried out with conviction throughout the collection, with plenty of oversized, blown-up volumes, broad statement shoulders, and powerful ’80s silhouettes fortified by robust use of leather dressing. It looked like Ferretti on steroids—a far cry from the ethereal Ophelias of yore. Masculine tailoring was energized by almost inflated proportions; checkered tweeds and Prince of Wales wools were used on generous-cut pantsuits or puffed-up ’80 jumpsuits, tucked into matching tweed boots. There were no skirts in sight whatsoever: Ferretti’s women wear the pants.
For those looking for a bit of the designer’s romance d’antan, not much was left to enjoy. Evening was equally forceful, resplendent in the metallic, cold shine of silver. Baroque lamé curlicues embellished a black silk jumpsuit; a fringed top had a liquid moonlight shimmer, as did a draped minidress, rendered in lustrous sterling silver silk. Playing on the same voluminous notes, explosions of undulating plissé ruffles in bright colors—red, fuchsia, cobalt blue, lilac—erupted on airy blouses, billowy tops, and tiered tremulous concoctions. They were a whimsical antidote to the powerful, inevitable practicality of daywear.
