Gianfranco Ferre .. Spring 2014 ... Milan Collections

Messrs. Piaggi and Citron have slowly come into their own here at the fabled brand.  They have the difficult task of meshing what once was into the 21^st century of what is!  Mr.Ferre was above all an architect of fashion, a brilliant technician and a man with a singular vision for his brand.

The current designers have been finding their way and reaching a comfort zone during their tenure and are certainly well aware of the Ferre DNA and vocabulary  by the is time.  My assessment is that the current collection could use a bit more edge and less softening of lines.  This is to say that Piaggi and Citron might have fallen under the influence of Ackerman as well as Ferre and personally I believe they need to push that Ferre envelope still a little harder.

In retrospect or hindsight the Ferre silhouette was razor sharp, every edge could cut glass and he achieved a great overall graphic quality via these hard lines.  While I think the present incarnation of the collection is parallel to the eponymous designer; one has to feel that the distance can still be reduced a bit while still retaining their present individual vision.

In fashion, it can just be a question of nuance or massaging a design that can bring it to full fruition and here maybe it is the length or maybe the width of a belt or possibly the fullness of a pant; I can only express what I sense and what I feel about the clothes which is a very personal overview.

What can be a double edged sword with the reimagining of a brand/designer is when the viewer has already been familiar with the original during its original “lifetime” and became a great fan during that time.  Undoubtedly it colors one’s perceptions and expectations and thusly affects one’s evaluation.

The question is simply did I like it, love it or hate it or am I ambivalent towards it and the reply is simply that yes, I do like it, a lot and I am still confident that these 2 gentlemen will arrive with the correct recipe sooner than later.

Gianfranco Ferre Milan Collections fall 2013

Can we talk?  I need to say this as I believe it to be true.  I believe that Stefano Citron and Federico Piaggi are on the precipice of something great here and they just really need to give it a nudge.  I have watched the development of the reimagined brand and there are times that I think they have run afoul of the eponymous DNA but they seem to be closer than ever this season.

Here is my analogy in very simple terms; they are writing with a dull pointed pencil and all they need to do is sharpen that pencil to achieve the fine line that is needed to clearly define the image of the name.  if you need it spelled out in another way it is following the directions of a recipe and doing everything to the letter and on that very last step where it says season to taste … the recipe never lives up to the expectation!  Got it?

I see a lot of the touchstones of the original Gianfranco Ferre and even the steps taken to modernize or update the DNA but that crispness, that edge is absent.  Now is the time to whittle those shapes until they draw blood… razor sharp.  The is also a bit of vintage Geoffrey Beene in the designs which certainly coincides with the design ethic of Mr. Ferre.   Messrs. Piaggi and Citron have been toying and tinkering with the brand for about a year and they need to take the final step and nail it.  I believe that the fashion flock will embrace them... I see it as if they do this, that Ferre can be viewed as a less intellectual and less minimal brand , think Jil Sander but far trendier!  Are we clear here?

I genuinely hope that the brand continues and that these 2 will do what I really believe they want to do and fully restore the luster of the brand.

P.S. Note to Nicole ..Haider Ackerman..really?   GFF did the belt 20 years ago so who borrowed from who ?