Collections —Woman / Prêt-à-Porter

“Memories of books, recollections of travels, fairy-tales and fantasy stories… The dragon of the Orient devouring the baroque spiral… The Land of the Rising Sun and China in the eyes of a European observer, seen through the glass of a magic lantern… I blended feelings, images and cultures in order to come up with this oriental softness, this happy synthesis between simplicity and opulence. All blossoming as luxuriantly as can be…”

Gianfranco Ferré

The design. A compact figure and slim silhouette in the little just-above-the-knee-length skirts and the sharp ankle-length pants. The effect of voluminous shoulders and bust in the giant hood or yoke, the crown-style cape, the full proportions of the duffel-coat or bomber. A “luxuriously lean richness” – in the definition of Mallet-Stevens – characterizing coats, trenches, duffels and kimonos linear of form, rich of fabric. The latter expressing no less than a new concept, personal and exclusive: double wool brocades and overlapping lamés, lamé laces in mixes aiming to achieve a full-bodiness which goes beyond the concept itself of design, all the while acquiring a magical luminosity.

The material. A sense of fullness and movement. An intrinsic plasticity animating the color gray: printed on the flannel-like galuchat, lined with soutage, transformed again in a surprising flannel for quilting the white and black georgette. Lambswool tricot, lightly rubberized, for a substance shiny and rich. A touch of tenderness, of soft abandon for sweetening the beige in uneven, elaborate, creamy effects. Obtained by uniting in a single garment Spanish shearling and bouclé. Combining flat faux fur (typical of sporty clothes) with an iridescent marbled rat.

The shading. Typical of plays of contrasts, it underlines the choice of colors, dense or daring. The gem greens and blue of Chinese lacquers accompany soft, full forms (the cloak-like double-cashmere coat with shawl collar, the duchesse canadienne over gray flannel pants). Wondrous lined and quilted brocades add a blazing splendor to trenches, duffel-coats and kimonos. Full nuances come together like a precious mineral in the noble materials: cashmere drap, pythonskin, satin, duchesse, double alpaca felt with iridescent taffeta quilting.

The accent. Gold in mix with tweed, jacquard with gold scales. Gold tulle jersey. Lace over gold lace. Glittery effects for the knit jumpsuit with hood, for the full tulle T-shirt, and for the evening jackets with strange round necklines – a cross between the tailcoat and the Chinese dressing-gown jacket. Melted gold on lacquered tricots. Gold fever for jackets and T-shirts in liquid sequins. Gold-plated cord spirals for pullovers… Thick, heavy jewelry. Bracelets emerging like gloves from jacket sleeves.

The touch. Sensations of dizziness, clouds of embroideries for the eveningwear in black and cream. Outfits featuring the impeccable smoothness of the tux (sideband on pants), but worn with nothing underneath. Full-length duffel-coats in duchesse. Profoundly cut backs, totally free shoulders. Fluid tunics in dense colors or in magical antique-metal hues, outlining the soft volumes with hoods, scarves and yokes.