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133

Collections —Woman / Prêt-à-Porter

Spring / Summer — 1994

Press Release

“A mixture of urbanity and wild spirit. The sense of freedom which in a civilized Mediterranean setting heightens décontracté materials… Recollections, here and there, of the turn of the century, enlivened by the pleasure of combining traditional things daringly… I sought to enhance concreteness – what I call elementarity – with the enchanting hues of reverie, a halo of lightness…“

Gianfranco Ferré

Moods.

The memory of a vaguely Chaplinesque silhouette flutters with all the delicacy of a fragrance: baggy trousers cut off at the lower leg, short jacket with naturally full shoulders, white and black as in “Modern Times.” Languid and intense, an early 20th century mood comes forth with rippling skirts, easy fluid jackets, a long caftan-style shirt rich in ribbings. And yet a wholIy modern wittiness and vibrant energy blend precious and rough impressions, boldness and tenderness, herringbone and tulle.

Colors.

In a sun-burnt summer landscape. all nuances dissolve and fade in pure light. Cream, sepia, hemp and white. A dusting of sand, pearly clouds. An explosion of peony, poppy and geranium reds for shirts as free as foulards. A wave of blue as cool and clear as the Santorini sea. Black dégradé stripes broadening at the hemline: in either prints or fettuccia (ribbon) appliqués.

Materials.

Firmness, thickness, lightness, contrasts… The cord of boat masts for decorating a long vest with braid edging.Georgette-lined ecru-colored compact lace, for the mannish suit. Gauze and tulle either stretch or in a sassy mosquito-net effect. Washed suede and shantung for safari jackets. A cotton pullover with notes of red for the jacket in somewhat of a cadet style for evening.

Alchemist sensations… raw linen on one side, a silvertone coating on the other. Python or elephant hide cut in strips and set on tulle or georgette sleeves which when rolled up form an imaginary web. Soft or crepe silks in mannish chalkstripes with an ajour thread.

Shapes.

Reconstructing and inventing the suit, now consisting of pieces different of concept. The waistcoat becomes a top. The jacket exasperates cuffs or shrinks down into suspenders alone. The blazer turns into a vest. The vest takes shape as a body. The handkerchief changes into a shirt and knots at the neck. Giant puff shirts are squares folded on the diagonal and tied with a satin ribbon. The foulard is knotted in a sarong style or folded in two rectangles and held with a safety-pin. Elementary pieces modify radically the idea of a single and sure kind of apparel. Disproportions in the generaI sense of proportion, pullovers in stitches of diverse sizes and lengths over white pants.

Accessories.

Shoes new of dimension, sturdier in terms of soles: in cork or buffalo, thin or very thick. Shoes for day mannish of taste but feminine in the heel and in the long narrow toe: twotone and elaborate, with large laces, satin ribbons, big eyelets, holes and stitchings. The swimsuit as a uniform of bodywear. Blue-violet tulle in two and three layers for a play of transparencies and shadow effects. Men’s-style hats in gauze, in tulle, in washed panama straw…