FASHION BY THE RULES: Alberta Ferretti

Showing posts with label Alberta Ferretti. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Alberta Ferretti fall 2022

Well, two collections in one day that signal that the Italians understand fashion... unlike 96% of designers in London and New York! Let me qualify and say they understand that this is a business and not an Instagram moment for likes ... this collection, in more than a few instances, contains covetable pieces that women can easily wear for years to come. I recently had a conversation with a colleague and asked where are the sarong skirts of the 80s and the wonderful dresses that were emblematic of that era? Well, I got my answer today ... they live in repertoire of Italian designers who are smart enough to know these are the clothes that will attract women of multiple generations.

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Ferretti’s only deficit, to me, was the puddling droopy pants and a few too many evening gowns but again, easily forgiven when you look at this collection as a whole... great coats, dresses, pants, scarves, total looks, pieces, basic and flamboyant but infinitely wearable. Gee doesn’t sound like anything I might have written for any designer in New York or London save for Michael Kors.

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I’m in love with the steely greys... the palette is dark but not dreary with hits of royal, camel, and various shades of purple and of course black. Chic but not over or under designed and pieces to be mixed and matched with the shop in the back of your closet that has been dormant for two years or more. This is a sensational comeback, I a way, for the brand which, in my opinion has been lost at sea for several seasons. The timing is perfect!

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Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Couture ragoût fall 2017

There were fantastical, comical, unbelievable, magical, hysterical, certifiable moments ... there were stellar moments that celebrate as an almost hymnal or devotional to the art and craft of haute of haute couture… there were moments of headshaking insanity and hilarity … there were moments of WTF is that and WTF were you thinking… moments of high camp and low taste ... moments of the future and remnants of the past and to say that there were peaks and valleys would be an understatement … but alas in very small doses there were moments that you felt the impossible seemed possible.

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Without question there some astounding moments from the likes of Giambattista Valli that came in the form of georgette dresses that were so meticulously and rapturously draped as to recall the past glories of Madame Grès and there were embarrassments from those who took to borrowing from less that astonishing ready to wear. There were flights of fancy from Schiaparelli and crash and burns at Ralph and Russo. There were moments that made you wonder that if Iris van Herpen looks mainstream and not so conceptual, what has happened to the collective eye or has the world gone mad? There were costume epics at Guo Pei, hefty bag drama at A.F. Vandevorst and drag queen drama at Ronald van der Kemp. There were even moments of chic abandon at Alberta Ferretti and too many moments of high camp.

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The take away is that there is definitely a blurring of lines when the astute viewer ponders as to where is the border between haute couture and ready to wear aside from the made to measure aspect? To me there is a confusion that sways between pile it on till hell won’t have it and then paring it down til you yawn at the simplicity. There were clouds of tulle that looked as if they magically and impossibly floated down a runway and embroideries rich enough to adorn Elizabethan velvets; Valli provided some exquisite pieces that have been so sorely lacking during this abbreviated season but bloated and he truly flexed his fashion muscle by not only sticking to his brand DNA but also expanding the Valli vocabulary.

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As a whole you really have to wonder where the elegance has gone and the times that made one slack jawed from what was presented. Have we become that jaded or has the body of work been “dumbed down?” Where are the countless times you wondered how in the world could they make this happen? What kind of vivid and boundless imagination could conjure such glorious moments of fashion? Can someone explain it besides saying the world has changed and this is the progression ... I find that to be a cop out rather than reason.

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Alberta Ferretti Milan Collections fall 2013

Well here is something that retailers might like to overhear on the selling floor… “The collection is so beautiful, I really can’t make up my mind, and I want them all!”

And that would be a proper introduction for the Alberta Ferretti collection for fall 2013. As an overview, Ms. Ferretti has mad e good use of her restrained decorations and embellishments, provided an ample section of jackets which are beautifully tailored, upped the “chic quotient” to perhaps a new level for her and showed this enormously uncomplicated, in your face, buy me now and wearable collection!.. How’s that?

There are some great coats, great dresses for day and cocktail, and some beautiful gowns which range from the tailored looks of decades gone by and to the sexy illusion looks which are flooding fashion circles. There is this sort of graphic deco feel and some Cecil Beaton My Fair Lady influence that permeates much of the collection. Yes, it might be due to the fact that so much of it is white accented with black but I am not sure that is it as there are many white pieces which seem to border on the pristine and virginal. Make no mistake this is a not a collection that will be considered far flung and costumey.

The end result is this very commercial and very tasteful collection that can satisfy the needs of new and old clients alike ... and I do not mean age wise but yes that too! My favorites are the pieces with the vertical stripe of embroidery, the austere blue evening suit, very Lee Radziwill I think, and of course some of the white and black pieces as well.