by TIZIANA CARDING, Paris, France

 VOGUE

“Alberta Ferretti indulged her penchant for hyperfemininity in her Limited Edition collection—that comes as no surprise. She was clearly in her element concocting an array of exquisite evening dresses, each one flimsier and more sensual than the other. “My woman is poetic, she adores lightness,” she said. “She’s a dreamer, and women need to dream!” Certainly.

The designer is an enduring romantic, yet she has a no-nonsense side. Even if the collection was replete with great occasion pieces of the flowing, embellished type, she’s also well aware that some clients feel confident and at ease with more structured shapes. Being a woman, she understands the need to conceal flaws and enhance best assets. Dreams aside, she smartly introduced more variety into the collection. “It’s a new, stronger Ferretti,” she mused.

So, together with languid column dresses in silver silk satin and exquisite filigree-embroidered tulle numbers, she also presented more assertive solutions. She introduced slim raw silk or shantung pants cropped at the ankle, worn with paillette-embellished sweaters or long chiffon blouses; she paired marabou-trimmed silk-velvet aviator jackets with trapeze tunics; and she topped evening pantsuits in black cady with belted jackets. A pajama ensemble swirled with floral motifs and sequins; it looked sensational. Definitely, Ferretti is no longer just the slip dress queen.”