Heavy metal was the starting point for Gabriele “Bebe” Moratti’s collection, but more for the message than the actual decibels. “We wanted to pick music that had a social message,” said the designer. “Contrary to what people believe, heavy metal is a very pacifist genre.”
Metallica and Iron Maiden tracks alternated with classical pieces from Vivaldi, however, the tone of the collection remained the same throughout: Eighties rock chick with a serious penchant for all things glitter. All the looks were black, but that didn’t stop them from shining. Rhinestone-studded belts clasped waists, chain shoulder pads were perched on top of jackets, and leopard prints were stitched on to blouses and ruffled dresses using silver thread.
Hemlines were either very long or very short. Models stomped along the stage in black leather boots with a rhinestone fringe edge. There were a couple of punk princess prom dresses, a pair of leather trousers with ruffled hems, as well as an oversized glitter corsage stitched on to an Eighties style mini dress. Dresses were printed with Gibson “Flying V” guitars.
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The collection was more heavily focused on textures and embroideries than previous offerings. “I tried to create a wardrobe rather than a collection that has a specific them,” said Moratti. “It is lacking in daywear, but we wanted to focus on stronger statements.” One attention-getting piece, despite not being as showy as the glitzy dresses, is a T-shirt printed with a riff on a Megadeth album cover, featuring Donald Trump in a straightjacket.