N°21 FALL WINTER 2013-14 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILANO FASHION WEEK

The cult of perfection is paralyzing. Error – deliberate, maddening – sparks action and generates motion.

At once seditious and above reproach, Alessandro Dell’Acqua plays at scattering the cards all while keeping his cool. Now his signature flair for opposites, liberating love of clashing forces, intensifies to a point bordering on outré. Against a backdrop of severity elegance. Fascinated by the pure precision of the bourgeois wardrobe, where male items define the essence of practicality, he makes clear shifts, subverts the rules, tempts fate yet stays within classic chic boundaries. Setting the tone is the quiet tension between masculine and feminine.

Rich & rough, daytime & evening, expansive & concise are intermingling and overlapping concepts. The sheepskin duffel-coat mimics a fur. The fireman jacket takes on a lustrous glint. The grunge style goes classy as flannel shirt and macro-check knit offset a deep slit skirt with gorgeous floral sequin trim and a glittery pullover pairs off with sharply creased and freshly cuffed pants (showing thick crystal-encrusted hose underneath). In pursuit of a dynamic balance, sleek coats and slim pants counteract the excessive elegance of tops casting a glance at couture. Offbeats notes – Swarovski crystals and jets edging the breast pocket on a mannish shirt, gold bands hiding discreetly in the lining – enter the picture and characterize the scene. Accessories set in motion a conversation between gentleman & gentlewoman all about cabochon crystal-studded heel penny loafers, spike heel moccasins and ladylike chain-strap clutch bags.

Luscious fabrics: gazar, nylon, flannel, viyella, lace, crepe de chine, dry wool. Bourgeois chic colors: beige, camel, white, poudre, sky blue. Plus unusual hints of metallic hues.

Order and disorder exchange places, while somewhere between apparent errors and artful provocations today’s exciting contradictions find energy and come to the fore.