Francesca Ruffini was in the mood for lightness this season. “I just feel that life is better lived when you don’t indulge in self-inflicted complications,” she said at a showroom appointment.
Cue her breezy FRS spring collection, which she gave a more spontaneous feel, making her elaborate prints airy and light. To that end, motifs were hand drawn or brush-stroked directly onto fabric, to achieve a feel of imperfection. “I wanted less precision, luminosity, a more artistic gesture,” she said.
Ruffini feels the need to open herself up to “fresher perspectives.” She’s eyeing younger customers : “I’m in awe of the talent they have to put things together in such effortless and creative ways,” she said. To that end, without compromising on sophistication, she amped up the collection’s versatility; alongside her signature pajama sets and loose-fitting robes and caftans, she offered straight-cut tunics in various lengths as elevated substitutes for T-shirts. They can be worn either layered over mismatched pants, or combined creatively with other contrasting printed pieces.
“I’d like to inspire women of all ages to be spontaneous and creative in the way they dress,” said Ruffini. “To find their own style, to be less cliché, less bourgeois, less conventionally concerned about scrutiny and the judgement of others. I’d like to convey a simple message: to believe in yourself and not be afraid of making mistakes.”
