Femininity with a hard edge is Alessandro Dell Acqua s trademark. The embroidered translucent dresses that have seemed so fragile on other runways looked tough and defiant here, cinched with wide, tooled belts or woven leather cords. A wispy chiffon slip looked almost threatening when accessorized with a mannish vest, a driving cap and dizzyingly high punched-suede shoe-boots. And crisscrossed lace strips on airy tops brought to mind nothing so much as a sexy gunslinger.
This collection was full of pieces that reinforced Dell Acqua s signature vision—one-shoulder gladiator dresses, fitted suede jeans and off-kilter ruffle skirts. What it lacked was any indication of what else the designer might be capable of doing.
