Godfrey Deeny
The intention was clear from the opening look of the Ferre 2007 women’s ready-to-wear collection shown Friday in Milan, when a dashing redhead Celtic male model made the opening passage in the show in super slim dandy's suit.
Tailoring - taut, innovative, rigorous and yet highly extravagant - was the key to this collection by designer Gianfranco Ferre.
This designer may cut his pants pencil slim, but his blousons have two-foot wide cuffs; he may finish his show with the model of his latest ad campaign, funk singer Skin, wearing a knit vest, but the garment is composed of 1.5 million in high quality diamonds.
Whatever else you can say about the Ferre gal, Gianfranco clearly believes she likes plenty of options. So the designer frequently sends on many variations of the same theme. One elegantly cut pinstripe dress worn by “veteran” model Carmen Kass, was followed by an almost exact copy, except the second look was composed of shaved astrakhan.
nNor is she afraid of a little experimentation. How else to explain the multi (five, literally) pockets that fought for real estate on the front of a beige felt cashmere skirt, or the minianture nooks and crannies bestrewn on the sexy fatigue pants in which Belgium beauty Elise Crombez sauntered around the catwalk in Ferre’s via Pontaccio showspace.
“I saw myself on a journey. It began in androgyny and ended in a passion for fully fledged femininity,” the designer explained.
Now, it’s very true that Gianfranco did tap into the big Eighties fashion moment, where long waists and big shoulders create a certain sexual ambiguity. But his haute gamme space warriors in silvered shearlings, pewtered trousers and titanium “wire mesh” cocktails looked targeted more at a rarefied galaxy. Rather than Rocket to the Moon, it was space shuttle to an intergalactic rave party, where Dom Perignon is served.
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