Presenting the autumn Alberta Ferretti assortment in Dubai, a rich market on the crossroads of custom and innovation, was not precisely enterprise as ordinary for Lorenzo Serafini, however vogue hardly ever thrives on routine. Invited to open Dubai Style Week, “I discovered myself within the position of ambassador for Made in Italy,” he stated, an task he appeared to just accept with equal components pleasure and amusement. The invitation arrived after the gathering was already underway, which suited him simply nice. “We didn’t design it for a selected place,” he defined. “Considering too domestically at the moment is sort of quaint.”
The gathering marked a mild however assured evolution of his work on the model. Silhouettes moved nearer to the physique, led by cinched-waisted jackets and pleated A-line skirts in butter-soft nappa leather-based, expressions of what he calls “smooth energy tailoring.” Rounded shoulders, an outlined waistline, a flattering peplum, and a romantic ruched shirt slipped beneath framed the look. For Serafini, romance just isn’t a weak point however a signature. “It’s an indulgence I refuse to surrender,” he famous.
There was, as ever, a splash of nostalgia: a ’70s-chic spirit hovered over the gathering, mingling with hints of “bourgeois Victoriana.” Flowing chiffon caftans, caped silhouettes, and languid volumes all belong to Serafini’s vocabulary, adaptable to any geography even when they weren’t designed with one in thoughts. He reworked them right here with extra exuberance, going for ample ruffles and feathers, bursts of vibrant colours, and a few fast-paced glitz. “The work I’m doing right here is evolving,” he mirrored. “My concept of the lady is clearer now, and I really feel extra assured proposing my imaginative and prescient.”
Alberta Ferretti herself attended the present, and was visibly moved. Serafini stated he feels lucky. “She has at all times supported me, and the model is near my very own aesthetic, so we’ve been aligned since day one.” Requested concerning the business’s carousel of designer modifications, his wit turned gently sharp. Fixed upheaval, he believes, serves nobody. “A inventive wants time to enter a home, to grasp it, to develop into it. An excessive amount of disruption confuses everybody, the consumer, the press, the model’s identification.” His personal methodology has been the other of revolution for revolution’s sake: gradual and attentive. When Ferretti stepped again, she gave him uncommon freedom. “She informed me: I like what you’re doing. I don’t need to affect you. I’m right here in the event you want me, however go your personal approach.” Her greatest recommendation was easy: don’t be afraid. He has taken it to coronary heart.
