Prêt-à-porter Donna
Spring/Summer
“The purity of white, lightness, a touch of frivolity – conscious and therefore composed: it comes easily to me, almost spontaneously, to sum up in these words the emotions running through this collection. These are the distinguishing signs of the femininity I wished to portray: joyful and sunlit, yet sober and graceful. A femininity both passionate and reserved, evoking Latin-American women. Frivolity, in truth, is exuberance, vitality, and magic. It is the enchanted opulence I wanted to explode especially in the evening, in golden laces and in cascades of tinkling, gleaming chains that call to mind the sacred jewels of the Virgen de Guadalupe”.
Gianfranco Ferré
2006
The whiteness is that of the intense midday light reverberating on the façades of colonial buildings and lavish Mexican cathedrals. White is not merely a colour: it is a declaration of vitality and purity, chosen to articulate an important part of the collection, defined by crisp, precise lines and volumes. To soften the blinding glare of white, warmer and denser wood tones are paired alongside it – bois de rose, sandalwood, rosewood, mahogany – at times edging into the equally intense shades of wild Sierra flowers: blood red, vermilion, carmine…
Lightness is, first and foremost, that of summer materials, cotton voile and georgette in particular. Even the leather of jackets in buffalo and deerskin becomes alchemically supple and soft, acquiring a consistency akin to poplin. Everything is light, even when precious lace and embroidery stand out on the surface, alongside an endless array of meticulous workmanship in filet, satin stitch, ajour, crochet, double macramé and floral cutwork – often assembled in patchwork on jackets and pullovers.
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Prêt-à-porter Donna
Fall/Winter
“Reflecting on the cycles and recurrences that govern history, I was struck by how each turn of the century carries with it a singular impulse to redefine and, in a sense, to cleanse the lines and shapes of dress. Developing this intention –which is in fact a constitutive element of my stylistic project– in this collection I wished to place an even stronger emphasis on the precision and almost geometric purity of forms and constructions. In pursuit of an ideal of perfection and distinction that goes so far as to suggest impressions of regal bearing, at once severe and graceful, and vibrantly contemporary”.
Gianfranco Ferré
2006
The logic of precision determines, first and foremost, decisive constructions and proportions. This singular formal clarity brings into relief small-yet-significant signs of refinement, emphasis and uniqueness. The imprint of distinction is also ensured by a chromatic progression that is deliberately restrained and noble. Black shades into brown and into the darkest, most wintry blues. Biscuit tones alternate with wool white and with warmer kacha nuances. Deep and alluring, instead, stand out the reflections and shades of precious stones: ruby and amethyst, Indian emerald, Malaysian sapphire.
References between full-bodied natural textures and alchemical marvels govern the material sequences. Wool reveals its thousand versatile facets: from gabardine to diagonals, from double faille to stretch canvas, from satin to bi-stretch crêpe. Cane-crumpled chiffon shapes shirts – in ivory or ink – that appear like garments from another time, restored to a new appeal. Ponyskin or cotton doubled with silk duchesse construct cadet-style spencer jackets. Upholstery velvets are washed; mink used for trench coats and overcoats is washed and drum-tanned, taking on the look and consistency of aged chenille.
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