Alessandro Dell'Acqua has a penchant for mixing feminine with masculine, and for Spring 2013 he worked those juxtaposing forces into a mostly crisp lineup of boxy collared tops, round-shouldered jackets, t-shirt dresses, and superslim pencil skirts. In mixed panels of lace, jacquard, and sheer knits they were plenty appealing, and — at their most successful — felt sporty and fresh.
Alessandro Dell'Acqua's No. 21 Fall 2012 collection is a revelation of utterly feminine detail crafted in the coolest way possible. It's not easy to carry off sequins nonchalantly, but Dell'Acqua's juxtaposition of the sparkle and rugged leather belts cinched at the waist is just an example of how the designer plays with extremities of luxury and, on the other hand, the ease of modern dressing. We get the decadence of lace and sexiness of sheer pared down as tweedy textures and sportier silhouettes are layered up underneath. There's a sense of wearability in everything, thanks to deconstruction — Dell'Acqua doesn't reveal head-to-toe sequins or head-to-toe sheer that's hard to pull off. The appeal comes from the mix and match, the texture play, the clever proportions that women want to wear now. Of course, in considering what women want to wear now, Dell'Acqua astutely includes a nod to menswear — bold-colored suits in simple silhouettes, outerwear that has that perfect masculine edge. Add to that the designer's newly launched footwear that debuted alongside the collection — ankle-strap platforms — and streamlined envelope clutches in hand, and this collection has cool-girl uniform written all over it.
>> Alessandro Dell'Acqua tapped "Queen Elizabeth in her private life, particularly when she is gardening in the country, but in a contemporary way," as his inspiration for Fall 2012. The designer also expanded on the menswear influence he focused on for Pre-Fall, working in masculine fabrics and some sharp sartorial tailoring into his signature fit-for-an-Italian-screen-siren aesthetic. Adding an element of girlie sparkle — and Queenly glamour? — were mini-dresses embellished with holographic sequins, delicate lace, and multi-colored rhinestones.
>> Italian label Brioni, which just hired Allessandra Dell'Acqua in May 2010 to raise its womenswear profile, is discontinuing the line. Dell'Acqua, who WWD reports was just in talks to extend his yearly contract for three more years — with a clause giving Brioni exclusivity over the designer — will have his contract terminated.
Brioni's change of mind is attributed to ongoing talks between PPR and Brioni about the French luxury conglomerate acquiring the Italian brand. One industry source told WWD: “This was supposed to be a long-term investment for Brioni. The collection was selling very well, and Brioni was planning to open a number of women’s stores, so I can only assume the entrance of a new shareholder was instrumental in determining this new course.”
If PPR does invest in Brioni, the women's line may not be revived, another source cautioned: “PPR may only want to focus on men’s. It already has so many women’s lines.”
Olivier Theyskens, who has not produced a collection since his exit from the house of Nina Ricci during the fall 2009 season (although he did release a book), has landed himself a job—designing a capsule collection for Theory that will be released next spring according to WWD. We admit it might be nice to actually be able to afford something from one of the world's most adored fashion designers but would much prefer to watch Theyskens on a main stage, presenting mind-blowing fashions for a major house. Let's hope this partnership also means that Theory chief executive, Andrew Rosen, is planning to offer Theyskens financial backing to restart his own collection.
In other designer news, Brioni has tapped Alessandro Dell'Acqua to be the creative director for its women's collection. Dell'Acqua will continue to produce his own line, N. 21.
Source: Getty
>> Not a week after Bally confirmed that creative director Brian Atwood has shown his final collection for the label and longterm designers Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler resigned from Aquascutum, word comes that Herz and Fidler are expected to be take over creative directorship at Bally.
A Bally representative did not respond to requests for comment, but Fashion Week Daily cites sources saying that the decision came from Bally management's desire to focus more on ready-to-wear; Atwood's ready-to-wear allegedly didn't sell as well as accessories for the brand. Herz and Fidler are finishing up at Aquascutum, but will supposedly present their first Bally collection in Milan for Spring 2011.
Meanwhile: who might be replacing Peter Dundas at Revillon? »
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>> After losing trademark rights to his name last June when he publicly sounded off against the label's owners, Alessandro Dell'Acqua is making a return to fashion with a new collection, dubbed N° 21. The name comes from the designer's birthday on Dec. 21, and it's also his lucky number.
Dell'Acqua is taking advantage of the opportunity to start with a clean slate. He told WWD: “I looked back at what I did in the past and decided to put the focus on wearable, every day clothes more than on eveningwear."
The first 80-piece collection, which spans dresses to knitwear to outerwear, will debut at the upcoming Fall 2010 Milan Fashion Week with a small runway show.
What's going on? First Olivier, then Esteban, and now Alessandro Dell'Acqua is said to be leaving his post at his namesake label due to creative differences with its owner, Cherry Grove. Apparently, Alessandro said the men's Spring '10 and women's pre-Spring '10 collections "will be produced without my approval, as I haven't had the possibility to verify the conformity of the final product to the sketches I submitted to the company." Yikes. Alessandro goes on stating, "Because of this imposed inability to guarantee the quality of the final product and in order to protect the other licensees of the brand, I have to detach myself from these two collections that have not been approved by me and that I don't acknowledge as realization of my creations." Does this mean Alessandro will fly the coup?
