Alessandro Dell'Acqua's Sheer Playfulness
By J. J. Martin
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Oct 2, 2002/ FWD/ --- Alessandro Dell´Acqua has had an obsession with sheer
fabrics and sexy lingerie pieces for as long as we can remember.
And given Milan fashion´s recent decree that these items are hot again, it´s no surprise
that they continued to find a happy home in the designer´s Spring/Summer 2003 runway
presentation.
It´s true we´ve been seeing vamped up bedroom looks in many designer´s bag of tricks
this season, but Dell´Acqua, who is already somewhat of a master in the camisole department,
had the foundation and the smarts to forge new ground.
His best incarnation of the boudoir was a playful mix between lingerie inspired pieces
and more sporty, structured items.
In simple terms, it was the "teddy redux."
Items such as a satin one piece jumpsuit with cropped pants and camisole lace top, or
lingerie style shorts with lace trim and military style belts, all had new structure and
definitely merited a evening stroll outside the house.
For evening, Dell´Acqua dreamed up ultra short silhouettes in black lace accented with gold.
When the pieces were kept simple - like backless camis accented in gold with satin micro
skirts - the effect was striking.
But too much bold gold - the metallic harem pants, for example - was blinding.
Sheer chiffon, another long standing item in the designer´s repertoire, also had its moment
in the spotlight.
Like many other designers showing in Milan, Dell´Acqua offered up plenty of breezy,
drapey pieces which gathered and fell over the body like the rags of a Roman empress.
What worked well were the single pieces, such as the wide neck or halter top blouses.
But the designer´s dalliance in head to toe transparent black chiffon got to be tiresome.
The draping, cascading and poofing black evening looks were overkill in an otherwise well
edited collection.
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