Alberta Ferretti held her resort show at Castel Sismondo, a 15th-century fortress in Rimini, a popular seaside resort on the Adriatic sea in the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. The area was recently hit by floodings so severe they left thousands homeless, heavily damaging its infrastructure. “It was the worst possible test to our resilience,” said Ferretti, who after much rumination went for ‘the show must go on’ option, keeping it on schedule. “I wanted to signal that we have the strength to overcome the odds, the determination to rebuild and start anew.”
Rimini was also Federico Fellini’s hometown; a museum dedicated to the Maestro of Italian cinema is housed within the castle. The languid, dreamy atmosphere of the Riviera Romagnola was captured in his visionary movies, transposed in a magic, visually enthralling narration. Ferretti said that while she didn’t intend to overtly pay homage to Fellini with this collection, “the fantasy, the emotions that have always inspired my creations, for me too they come from this land—soulful, sensual, full of humanity and lust for life.”
In the vast piazza that opens in front of the castle, models paraded on catwalks perched over thin pools of water, reflecting the fortress’s walls where black-and-white scenes of Fellini’s movies were projected. It made for a captivating sight. Composer Nino Rota’s famous soundtrack from the 1963 film 8 1/2 just added a dash of pathos.
To counterbalance the rather imposing background, Ferretti gave the collection a dramatic, theatrical rhythm, playing on lightness opposed to structure, delicacy contrasted by character. Glamour and shimmer energized the ethereal dresses that have made Ferretti famous; billowy clouds of chiffon were draped, wrapped, and layered to breezy, weightless effect. Featherlight cloaks, capes, and evening overcoats ballooned over slender embellished sheaths; sinuous slipdresses dripping in translucent sequins had a liquid, voluptuous appeal.
While her collections of late have been focused on daywear, here Ferretti didn’t indulge her “pragmatic dreamer” side as much. Instead, she set her whimsical spirit free, infusing more prosaic propositions—pantsuits, blousons, or separates —with a dash of caprice and eccentricity. Perhaps she was channeling the powerful Fellini’s genius loci—who knows?
People from Romagna are known for their generosity and big heart; born and raised here, Ferretti shares the same disposition. Her company has made substantial donations to the associations helping people in the territories affected by the disastrous floods. The show was closed by a swarm of young volunteers who have spent days working hard, knee-deep in the mud, to rescue people, offering assistance and relief. The blue sweatshirts they wore, created by Ferretti, were emblazoned with the phrase Io ci sono (You can count on me); the proceeds from their sales will be donated to charity. It was a touching finale that sent out a message of vitality and hope.
Collection
This article was originally published on Vogue Runway.
