Mathilde Castello Branco is the newly installed creative director at Azzaro. She hails from Lanvin and has a bit of Alber Elbaz s gift for waxing lyrical about her creations. A Swarovksi crystal button at the back of the neck is "like a touch of perfume," and the organza sleeves of a dress are "like clouds."
So far, the clothes hold up to her résumé. There was a smart fur coat with puffed sleeves that unzipped at the shoulders so you can trade them for simpler ribbed knit ones. Clever in a different way was a short-sleeve sweater with a demure trompe l oeil collar that turned to reveal a scooped-out bare back.
But Azzaro s raison d être is dresses, and what was promising about today s presentation was the diversity of Castello Branco s offering, from long fourreau dresses with subtle, unexpected asymmetries to shorter cocktail numbers in jersey. The latter had knit waists that functioned like corsets but, the designer promised, were a hell of a lot more comfortable.
