In a season when nudity is one of the big trends on the runways, it s ironic that Alessandro Dell Acqua would play the modesty card at La Perla. Replacing the typically racier fare at today s show were tent dresses, peasant blouses, and flaring pants in a seventies-ish vein. "Easy, light, and fresh" were the words bandied about backstage. Not that there weren t lingerie details, but instead of being the main event, black lace was used as a layering piece over an emerald green dress. Broderie anglaise at the bottom of a trapeze coat looked positively sweet; the same goes for a ribbon lace vest and skirt. Other embellishments, like the gold sequins of a loose tank or the jewel-encrusted bodices of one-shoulder evening numbers, had more of a disco vibe. The problem was, nothing really separated this seventies revival from the countless others that have come before. You d like to see La Perla capitalize on the technical fabrics and innovations of its lingerie business and apply them to a little black dress, say, or a pair of fitted pants—that would be more up-to-date.
