Marco Zanini

Marco Zanini clearly had volume and proportion on his mind when he designed Rochas's Fall 2013 collection. The offering, which came down a staircase and then down a runway in Paris on Wednesday, was filled with generous circle skirts, oversize outerwear, and jackets so big they had to be cinched in with wide belts to create a waist.

See the entire collection here.

There was an optimistic sportiness in Marco Zanini's outing at Rochas on Wednesday that didn't simply come from the white wrestling boots he paired with the looks he sent down the runway. For all their fine fabrication (taffeta here, cloque there) and ladylike posturing, the garments in this collection looked as though they were made to move. Sure, there were bralette tops, easy shirtdresses, and a gauzy pleated skirt that left a slipstream of fabric trailing close behind the model wearing it on the runway. But there were also polo shirts (tucked into skirts or elongated into dresses in their own right), luxe three-quarter-length cardigans, and midriff-baring, well, everything that were as easy to slip on as they were to look at and admire.

For Rochas's Spring '13 collection, Marco Zanini showed a whimsical collection filled with retro nostalgia with a sporty twist, as evidenced in the white rubber-like wrestling shoes he paired with almost every look. Structured polo shirts were paired with shorts, baggy trousers were styled with cropped shirts, and large, oversize midlength full skirts were paired up with cropped blouses. It was all about contrast and proportion, which Zanini further exemplified with a selection of voluminous capes and shirtdresses. Meanwhile, languid slip dresses and sheer maxi dresses injected a soft, much needed feminine touch to the collection — we especially loved the simple metallic silver rendition.

• Trends: Retro and sporty influences, floral prints, crop tops, slip dresses.
• Colors: Hot fuchsia, silver, gray, white, black.
• Key Piece: The hot fuchsia polo tunic top and matching shorts were adorable.
• Accessories: Rubber-like wrestling shoes, head wraps, round sunglasses, structured leather satchels.
• Who Should Wear It: Who likes feminine pieces with a little retro touch? Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Stone, and Olivia Palermo.

>> There was no shortage of attendees last Thursday at the Spotted Pig in Manhattan, gathered in honor of Sally Singer's recent appointment as editor of T magazine. Singer was reportedly bashful about being the guest of honor as designers, friends, and Vogue cohorts all gathered to say their congratulations — among them Anna Wintour, who was one of the first to arrive — and Marco Zanini, creative director of Rochas, who flew in just for the event. Singer, who will debut her first issue for T on Dec. 5 (her first fashion issue doesn't come until February), is apparently done with hiring — she stated at the party that her staff of 40 at the magazine is set.

>> Bianca Balti opened in what turned out to be a very '60s-drawn Rochas collection by Marco Zanini. Teased flippy hair, shift dresses, exaggerated pointy collars, and acid hues were punctuated by leopard print and gold lame on bags and the elbow shields of cardigans. Zanini said he was inspired by a Goldie Hawn movie, Cactus Flower — perhaps explaining the floral bow motif carrying throughout. The finale, a crowd of models showered in a psychedelic mix of colored lights.

>> Marco Zanini's new, more commercial interpretation at Rochas was so well-received last season, he kicked off Paris Fashion Week this morning, taking his designs to the runway for the first time under the label.  Anna Wintour was front row for the '40s-inspired collection with below-the-knee hemlines: Zanini said he wanted to get away from classic Parisian fashion, and instead imagined "a young woman going to a boarding school in Saigon."

The reception seems to be positive, if a bit unenthused. T's Anne Christensen deemed it "not what I expected but nice"; the AP concluded that Zanini made "a strong case for [Rochas's] resurrection"; Cathy Horyn called it "interesting, unhurried . . . I sensed [Zanini] was doing his version of French sportswear, perhaps inspired by the Rochas legacy"; and WWD noted that the collection had similarities to Dries van Noten's work, but "Zanini seems to have plenty of ideas and enough technical skill to put Rochas somewhere on the map."