If the title “Let’s Kiss” wasn’t enough to give it away, the first look threw down the gauntlet — this season’s Alessandra Rich collection was not for the Ladies Who Lunch. Her girls have gone louche and lusty, ready for a night out and maybe a morning walk home. There was a distinct murmur in the room amongst guests that were clad in looks from her more prim past collections as models paraded through the red velvet rooms of Paris’ legendary Maxim’s club.
Rich offered up a new body-conscious aesthetic with slinky Y2K-inspired slip dresses, cleavage-boosting halter tops, low-waisted flared trousers, lace body stockings that left little to the imagination, and lots of leopard print.
But maybe it’s not so out of character for Rich, who admitted to digging through her own closet to resurrect early Aughts pieces for inspiration. Like many of the collections this season, her return to an earlier aesthetic was a reaction to the past few years of shifting restrictions. Rich wanted to let loose and have fun.
“I still love conservative looks,” Rich admitted after the show. “But for this collection, I thought, ‘Let’s go a little bit wilder.’ It’s for the woman to please herself, to be light and sensual and flirtatious.”
For all the barely there creations, spaghetti strap dresses were crafted of see-through silk georgette and velvet gowns fit like a glove. Rich admitted to four fittings for each model to achieve the perfect fit. “For me, one centimeter makes a difference,” she said.
Rich also created a lipstick presented to guests in glamorous gold-and-red mirrored packaging. It was her first foray into beauty and although she enjoyed the creation process it’s a one-off — for now.
