MILAN — The new course of the Alberta Ferretti brand starts with a homecoming.
The first show by Lorenzo Serafini will be held Tuesday evening at the brand’s Milan headquarters in the beautiful, stately Palazzo Donizetti, with wrought iron decorative elements, tile mosaics, marble and hardwood floors, embellished with gilded details and artistic stuccos.
“This reflects our decision to highlight and respect the history of the brand while bringing it into the future,” said Massimo Ferretti, executive chairman of parent company Aeffe. “Also the space is more intimate and personal, so that guests will better understand the evolution of the brand, Lorenzo’s project and vision, and they will be able to see the clothes up close and the details of our Made in Italy production.”
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Designer Alberta Ferretti in October selected Serafini to carry on her namesake brand after revealing her decision to step down a month earlier, citing at the time the “tremendous change” hitting the fashion world and her belief in his “creativity, strong aesthetic sense, professionalism and expertise.”
Her brother Massimo clearly agrees with the choice — even more so after seeing the first fall 2025 designs and after reporting a 25 percent increase in sales of the pre-fall 2025 collection presented to buyers earlier this month.
“You may think I am a bit too relaxed at this moment, given the current scenario, but I am confident in Lorenzo’s work. I am very satisfied and happy with what I’ve seen so far. Lorenzo has been tackling this challenge with gusto and is handling it superbly,” the chairman said.
To be sure, in a preview appointment, Serafini appeared focused and excited, offering looks to be photographed by WWD that were in sync with the brand’s legacy, while adding a fresh spin to it, from a deconstructed cashmere and wool raw-edge blazer in a chevron pattern “with a very soft hand,” he said, to a long, arresting red dress with a sophisticated architectural silhouette and a sensual cutout on the back.
Reflecting the artisans’ craft, a stretch viscose bustier was finely embellished with a hand-embroidered motif of black jet stones worn over a stretch knit skirt and silk chiffon balloon underskirt. “It’s all very comfortable and nonchalant, with deconstructed and fluid designs,” said Serafini. Looking at the models, he added “it’s as if these women live in this beautiful palazzo, their home, welcoming guests with ease and confidence.”
Serafini joined Aeffe, which also controls the Moschino and Pollini brands, from Dolce & Gabbana, where he was womenswear designer, following an experience in the same role at Roberto Cavalli. He succeeded Natalie Ratabesi at Aeffe as creative designer of the Philosophy line in 2014. When Ratabesi joined the brand in 2012, it marked the first time Alberta Ferretti had delegated the entire direction of Philosophy to another designer, who developed the label independently to differentiate it from the signature collection. The Philosophy line was launched in 1984. The Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini brand will be integrated into the Alberta Ferretti line from the fall 2025 season.
Alberta Ferretti, who remains vice president of Aeffe, has carved a specific image for her namesake brand, launched in 1981, with feminine yet confident and practical looks. At the same time, the designer has been dubbed the queen of chiffon for her talent in creating romantic, dreamy evening gowns and slipdresses in that material.
Her gowns became a staple on the red carpet beginning in 2000, when Uma Thurman wore the designer’s crimson dress at the Academy Awards and made headlines. Ferretti’s dresses have been spotted on the likes of Sandra Bullock, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa and Beyoncé, to Taylor Swift, Cate Blanchett, Amal Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet, among others.
Her brother underscored “the successful history of the brand, which is very recognizable, dressing beautiful and strong international women in the arts, culture and music, so Lorenzo is well aware of the commitment needed and starts from what has been done in the past but is revisiting it with his own eyes, with modernity and newness, which are indispensable now to write a new chapter. He has his own vision and style, but will not disown the brand’s roots. His aesthetic, his vision, his knowledge of the sector and knowledge of our company will be instrumental in guiding the next phase of the brand’s evolution.”
The choice of Serafini was not sudden or improvised, he continued. “Lorenzo has 10 years of experience [within Aeffe], he breathed the air and atmosphere of the brand, so he starts from a vantage point. There is a logical fil rouge from the past into the future.”
While admitting Serafini contributed to the growth of the Philosophy line, Ferretti said the signature line will allow the designer to fully discover his potential. “He will be freer now. The expression of his style was perhaps a little sacrificed by the pricing and positioning restrictions of the Philosophy line, which limited the opportunities to show his sartorial skills and high-end perspective.”
Serafini has also conceived a new store concept for the brand. It will be unveiled in the new boutique in Milan’s Golden Triangle between Via Montenapoleone, Via Spiga and Via Sant’Andrea in September. Ferretti said he could not disclose the exact location yet as “we are about to sign the contract, but it’s done.” After Milan, the Paris and Rome directly operated boutiques will be revisited with the same blueprint. There are also franchised stores in Moscow, Beirut and Doha.
“We are thinking of a retail expansion,” said Ferretti and the appointment in November of Alexandra Lamprecht as general manager, a new role at the Italian brand, also telegraphed this focus. She is tasked with driving the growth of the fashion house and its expansion into international markets. “It was necessary to revise our structure and I am sure Alexandra will help drive this moment of change, and commercial efficiency will help reach our ambitions.”
Lamprecht has two decades of experience in the sector, working over the years with luxury brands ranging from Ferragamo and Valentino to Etro.
In May, the brand will unveil its new website, also conceived by Serafini.
Aeffe is publicly traded in Milan and will report its year-end results on March 14. The slowdown in global consumption in the fashion and luxury sectors, the political and social instability around the world and challenges in the company’s wholesale distribution impacted the performance of the group in the first nine months of 2024, with consolidated revenues decreasing 17.8 percent to 207.8 million euros. But Ferretti said he was confident “the recent strategic decisions we have made, the reorganization of the Moschino brand [designed by Adrian Appiolaza] and the rebranding of the Alberta Ferretti label will open up new interesting scenarios.”