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A Little Lightness Goes a Long Way

In Paris, Dell'Acqua delivered his best collection since joining Rochas, a breezy, painterly affair channeling the very sense of lightness that Cedric Charlier lacked.
Rochas Autumn/Winter 2016 | Source: InDigital.tv
By
  • Angelo Flaccavento

PARIS, France —
 Amidst the drama of the Paris shows, a little lightness can be refreshing. It's more and more rare, however. After a couple of heavy seasons and some apparent indecision on the attributes of today's Rochas woman, Alessandro Dell'Acqua finally nailed it with Wednesday's breezy, painterly show. This was his best outing since taking the creative helm of the venerable Parisian house. Give or take a few too many pussy bows, the collection felt wonderfully light, consistent and cohesive and came in a beautiful array of colours combined in offbeat and charming ways.
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Rochas Autumn/Winter 2016 | Source: InDigital.tv

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Despite the evanescence, this looked like a proposition with real-life potential beyond the fantasy of the catwalk: elegant, feather-light pieces that could be beautifully mixed and matched. The outerwear, including double-faced cashmere coats, was outstanding. Overall, the stress was very much on the product — no grand concept here. But Dell'Acqua's matter-of-factness was no bad thing. Clothes that are just plain nice are always welcome. The only faux pas here were the shoes: heavy satin or jacquard velvet wedges weighed down the collection, giving the looks an overly vintage feel.

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Cedric Charlier Autumn/Winter 2016 | Source: InDigital.tv

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Lightness is not something that interests Cedric Charlier. His language is sharp, architectural, unremitting and, as such, a tad cold. It was apparent in today's show, a modern exploration of tropes and shapes taken from marine wear. The tone was precise — so much so that the ghost of Céline was unavoidable. But Charlier is no mere copycat. His take on clean lines and stiff fabrications has an urban glare which is all his own. At times, it is so strict it almost looks militaristic. Which is exactly what makes Charlier's work a bit hard to digest. A little injection of life and lightness would be of great help.

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