Alessandra Rich went sentimental for resort: Hearts and flowers bloom in abundance on the copious frills of the girly dresses she favors. The choice is suggestive of a hopeful mindset. Stuck in Milan since the beginning of the pandemic and a bit nostalgic of her London life, Rich is in restart mode, ready to resume the lively social life that she so misses. “It’d be great to have a good party on a terrace, wouldn’t it?” she asked. Indeed, it would.
A rooftop terrace overlooking an industrial Milanese landscape actually materialized—not as the location for a fabulous party but as the set for the lookbook’s shoot. “I wanted something metropolitan,” said Rich. For once, nature wasn’t part of the picture. Rich likes it a bit sassy; the en plein air feel of a field of poppies wouldn’t qualify as an appropriate frame for her racy, flirty numbers anyway. “Dress, think, and love” was the collection’s mantra.
Rich has a broad celebrity following, spanning from K-pop group Blackpink to Beyoncé to the Duchess of Cambridge. You couldn’t think of more different women or more different styles. “I believe every one of them finds something that represents their personality,” Rich said. For resort she mixed casual and dressy. Sexy heart-printed minidresses sit alongside more demure options, as in midi pleated dresses with prim lace collarettes. Cropped tops in fluffy mohair contrasted with embroidered denim truck jackets.
Rich manages to make even a plain, unassuming sweat look flattering and pretty; yet glam is her preferred language. A long, sinuous black velvet number with heart-shaped décolletage looked ready for the great reopening we’re all anticipating. “It’s a love letter for all the new, beautiful things the future will certainly bring us,” she said.
