The setting wasn t lacking in drama. Luisa Beccaria held her show in the grand Maria Teresa Hall of the Braidense National Library at the Brera Museum, and for musical accompaniment she hired Passionata, a British opera quartet who sang and emoted like divas. That s a lot for this dress-centric collection to live up to. Did it? Well, the lineup was overlong and suffered at times from heavy-handed styling (knee-highs, ankle socks, and Mary Janes spell overkill in anyone s book). But in the end, yes, the collection was wide-ranging enough to please all of Beccaria s constituencies, from Hollywood types to longtime fans of her girly frocks.
For the actresses, there were a number of red-carpet contenders: a navy and black sweetheart strapless taffeta gown, a red charmeuse siren column, and a dusty rose chiffon floor-grazer with ruched skirt and rosettes embellishing the bodice. For those whose lives don t revolve around awards shows, there were other options: The sweater dresses had a sweet charm, as did a few party numbers embroidered with scallops of frilly tulle. The designer also diversified a bit, layering cozy wrap cardigans over a lot of her dresses, and adding some tailoring to the mix. Feminine tailoring, that is. Where Beccaria goes, ruffles are never far behind.
