Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s spring collection was a piercing color story, a fantastically rich fabric story, a story of opulent Orientalism fused with haute, retro attitude. It was a story of resistance, a refusal to cow to the casualization of current culture. He made a fabulous case for dressing up.
The colors and fabrics were intense indulgencies, with saturated shades of purple, marigold, scarlet, jade and royal blue popped off black jacquard done in Eastern patterns. “It’s Oriental in mood because of the material and the shape, but I don’t want the cliché,” Dell’Acqua said backstage. In some cases — for example, a green and yellow slip — he cleverly turned the jacquard inside-out, playing the literal silver lining against the vivid exterior result of the beautifully woven silk. Shapes nodded toward the haute lines of Sixties couture with the sculpted volumes on satin coats, tiered sculptural ruffles on a black dress, and arch Empire waist of a gown with a neat, colorful jacquard bodice — with a V-shaped cutout at the bust and tied in a bow at the collar — and stark black skirt.
Ideas of traditional “daywear” existed only in quotes — a refined black coat over a jacquard slip and opulently embroidered shirtdress were definitely not everyday. Then again, Dell’Acqua made clear that his woman is not your ordinary gal. The clothes were laced with a confident eccentricity. And the best part was that, for all the grandeur, there was no air of pretension. Somehow he grounded the looks, in part by showing a majority of them on pretty, relatively simple satin flats.