Stepping into the spotlight for the first time after years spent working for other designers, Lorenzo Serafini telegraphed his vision for Alberta Ferretti’s sister line Philosophy with his first look: a cream knit cape with pearl buttons. His muse was a girl on the cusp of womanhood — more specifically, Brooke Shields in her controversial roles as a teen prostitute in “Pretty Baby” and a smitten adolescent in “Endless Love.”
Serafini captured that budding sexuality with wispy blouses and sheer nightie dresses that referenced Ferretti’s trademark romantic aesthetic in a light and modern way. Tailored pants — hip-hugging flares or a high-waisted carrot-cut style — added sophistication. A sequence of color-blocked looks, including a poncho in rust, mustard and brick, also signaled a more confident approach to seduction, especially when paired with vermilion suede thigh-high boots. “I love a sensuality that isn’t too obvious and adore innocence when it is gently decadent,” Serafini explained in his show notes.
After long-term stints at Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli, Serafini clearly knows a thing or two about sexy clothes. The designer’s first full collection for Philosophy — back in Milan after several years of showing in New York — veered toward Seventies Chloé in places, but it demonstrated he has more than one string to his bow.