Fulvio Rigoni presented his second collection for Salvatore Ferragamo today. In a preview, he said he approached the task with four words in mind: “dynamic, sensual, luxe, comfortable.” He opened with a nipped waist blazer in dove gray leather—leather being the house’s stock in trade—worn with a sleek turtleneck and slit silk skirt in matching hues, and accessorized with a violet crocodile clutch and platform-soled, stacked heel booties by Ferragamo women’s footwear design director Paul Andrew. That first look set a lean, elongated line that Rigoni pursued from beginning to end; whether he was cutting sheaths, the sleeveless versions of which were accompanied by matching shrugs suspended from shoulder harnesses, or was pairing fine knit sweaters with narrow, fold-over waist skirts. The pants he showed were likewise slim—sometimes leggings-tight—and high-waisted.
It’s a demanding, rigorous, and (some argued) cold silhouette; one that he added some interest to with the use of abstracted animal patterns or bright fruity shades of pink, purple, and orange. Elsewhere, the chenille fabric of a black blazer had a great feel in the hand. "It wears like a cardigan," Rigoni said. He also used it for a trompe l oeil slip dress/turtleneck combo that looked layered but was actually only one piece. A simple puffed down square with armholes was a clever, modern alternative to an evening wrap. His coats came with expressive collars that added some drama to the proceedings. Overall, though, drama was in too short supply here. Rigoni s task for next season will be imbuing his Ferragamo with more soul.
