To make this collection, Lorenzo Serafini had an industrial washing machine and dryer installed in his studio. “I asked myself, How do you create a dress that a woman will love for a long time? I think you have to do something very personal, something singular,” he said. Fall is his most “worked” collection ever. The washer and dryer were necessary for all the dip-dyeing he did, starting with the Liberty florals he first introduced in his pre-collection. An electric red smock dress in a Liberty-print velvet started its life white, if you can believe it. The dip-dyeing was just the beginning, though. Many of the dresses here were trimmed with silk fringe and accessorized with garlands of silk flowers. And how’s this for worked? One pair of paper bag–waist jeans was lined in Liberty-print silk, quilted, washed to a light fade, and worn inside out. The waistband was also trapunto stitched.
Embracing handwork is an instinct that’s catching on across fashion. Women needing a justification to spend could find it in Serafini’s crafted pieces, the best of which have the feeling of a vintage treasure. In fact, the dip-dyeing process he used ensures that no two of the same garments will be identical in production. In that sense, these pieces come with their own history. Serafini said there was no specific muse this season—there typically is—but the aesthetic was distinctly glam ’70s, made more so by the models’ disco waves and platform sandals. A lighter hand with the styling might have made the cumulative effect less literal. In that context, the striped blanket coats and ponchos proved to be a fresh counterpoint. They had that singular quality Serafini was going for, while still remaining quite effortless.
