It was a tale of two collections. On one side, there was sculptural tailoring, luscious knitwear, and clothes meant for movement. On the other, corsets, black lace and skimpy bra tops, totally out of tune with modern times.
Ermanno Daelli loves dressing women and “exalting” femininity. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” said the designer as he greeted one of his early – and favorite – models, Natalia Vodianova, backstage before the show.
He described the collection as a play between masculine and feminine with lots of classic fabrics – check, herringbone and houndstooth – in addition to shearling and leather.
So much of it was spot-on, from the hourglass jackets layered over short dresses, to the trouser suits with long coats in gray or powdery yellow, to the lineup of leather and shearling jackets.
Knitwear was strong, too, and came in the shape of ribbed sweater jackets with fluffy collars, languid sweaters with lacing up the sides, and the cocooning, cable knit sleeves on a long, navy blue coat.
There was even a long, cozy-looking white knitted dress that should give new meaning to après-ski fashion.
Evening looks were just as easy. The designer paired a sheer fluttery gown, and a black velvet minidress, with flat mary janes, and layered sweater-jackets over long, embellished dresses.
In between, there were also a lot of corsets.
One was pinky-beige and layered under an elegant gray suit, another was knitted with a zipper at the back, while another still was fashioned from leather. At one point, the corsets gave way to little bra tops made from wool fabric and edged in black lace.
Daelli loves a corset, and often uses the shape to underpin his gossamer dresses and tailored suiting. But the full-on, corset-as-top is making these collections look out-of-touch, trapped in a 1950s Sophia Loren film, a Guess ad from the 1990s, or a Halloween costume catalogue. Sexy witch, anyone?
This designer knows exactly what women want and need in their wardrobes, and he delivers it season after season. So with Gen Z practically bra-less, and older generations embracing feather-light shapewear, it’s time for Daelli to get real, shift his gaze, and deliver the sort of clothing that truly empowers women.
