Gabriele “Bebe” Moratti went to town for fall — to Paris that is. Describing Redemption’s endeavor for the season as a “Love Letter to Paris,” he sent out an offering that was heavy on the glitz, moving away from the more grungy feel of the past couple of seasons.
A panoply of ostentatious fabrics, from giant houndstooth designs in all-over sequins to lurex jacquard motifs, paraded down the runway on bustier dresses and tuxedos to a soundtrack of French classics from artists like Charles Aznavour and Edith Piaf.
Flowing silk and georgette and crepe halter-neck dresses in black, red or regal purple were regularly punctuated at the waist with diamanté cummerbunds or paired with felt fedoras and ankle boots.
In a less dressed up register, there were wide-hipped leather pants and some fun dungarees, their workwear shape providing a quirky contrast when worked in shimmering black velvet or as a black leather playsuit.
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This was all topped off by a multiplicity of fake-fur coats in an array of hues from deep purple to yellow and even in a giant houndstooth pattern.
Moratti said the fall collection was put together in just four weeks since pre-fall was presented in January, and that he is planning to focus on doing just four collections a year— two ready-to-wear, two couture — and skip the more commercial pre-collections from now on.
“I believe that creativity should have space, that quality needs time to develop. I think that’s more beneficial for the brand,” he explained. He may have a point. Redemption’s development into the glammed-up street look of recent seasons made sense and fit with the vibe of the moment, while this season’s more literal lineup felt like something of a step backward.