The Gianfranco Ferré runway favored minimalism over maximalism, which was a refreshing change of pace from the typical excess of Milan Fashion Week. There was a hint of Haider Ackermann’s acumen for folding and pleating his clothes into new shapes and volumes. Perhaps Stefano Citron and Federico Piaggi, the duo behind the Ferré brand, have incorporated Ackermann’s strong stylistic tendencies into their own work. This is not to say there is any sense of duplication or copying; it just felt familiar, in a good way. It was a wonderfully executed presentation. That’s all that needs to be said, really. While others embraced the fantasy side of fashion, Citron and Piaggi took a more realistic approach. These are clothes that women of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds will want to wear, even though the bulk of this collection was made up of avant-garde twists on classics. A trench coat gets a neck-hugging oversized lapel, which was appealing because of all of its lovely curves. Fur swing coats, a workman’s jumpsuit in all black, and a simple strapless sheath dress were precision-tailored to the models. The drape and cut of these clothes on the Gianfranco Ferré runway offered a kind of diaphanous wonder to the collection. This will go far toward renewing flagging interest in the brand.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRunway