Gianfranco Ferré, Couture, Spring-summer 1988

18 juillet 2016

Gianfranco Ferré, Couture, Spring-summer 1988

Gianfranco Ferré, Couture, Spring-summer 1988 © Fondazione Gianfranco Ferré

Gianfranco Ferré, Couture, Spring-summer 1988 © Fondazione Gianfranco Ferré

Gianfranco Ferré, Couture, Spring-summer 1988 © Fondazione Gianfranco Ferré

“What prompted me is a desire for freshness, the wish for a tropical flair interpreted and inflected according to the classic tenets of haute couture. Free of censure and misunderstanding,” says Gianfranco Ferré. “Even when it is luxurious and has a sartorial slant, ready-to-wear is always ready-to-wear, therefore more generic and indistinctive. By contrast, high fashion responds solely to particular needs, to the specific interests of the women for whom it is designed.”

Talking about moods, secret currents…

“There’s a touch of colonial dandyism, the spark of colors fixing images à la Josephine Beauharnais. There are the requisite black&white stripes, yet also rich shades of bouganvillea red and Martinique turquoise. There are tartan plaids with streaks of sky blue and aquamarine, given a new dimension by the strength of the island sun.”

Talking about shapes, lines, motion…

“I sought to instill a sense of lightness, as if a lukewarm breeze were blowing and every so often a whirlwind overcame the force of gravity. So skirts have a forward thrust or pivot on lavish ruffles and narrow waist. But back on the scene is also a stylized male silhouette: as in the important mannish jacket with slits in back, high shirt collar, in black&white stripe satin. Similarly, the daytime jacket has a vague tailcoat cut, otherwise is extralong and totally open in front. The short jacket is close fitting at hips.”

Talking about fabrics, materials, the substance behind form…

“No georgette, no sense of softness. Rather, full textures adapting easily to the volumes suggested by the cut. Shiny wool/cotton satins. Matte gazars. Gorgeous silk shantung, duchesse, faille, doubleface taffeta/wool. Piqué heightening the tridimensional feel of particular working processes. Airy fabrics adding a sheer quality to turquoise, a dazzling brilliance to red.”