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First Fellows-Free Bally Stays the Course
By J.J. Martin
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Jan 13, 2003 /FWD/ --- If no one had mentioned six months ago that Scott Fellows had
exited his post as creative director at Bally, not one well-heeled observer at the Swiss
house's fashion show today would have been the wiser.
But the "non-revolution" which went on display in Bally's brand new woodbox showroom suits
new CEO Marco Franchini just fine.
"Scott established the creative direction of the house which we will continue to follow,"
explained the former Gucci exec before the show.
"We have developed and communicated our image properly, the task now is to develop and
offer product which makes sense and resonates with our consumer."
To that end, Bally's board of directors, of which Franchini is a member, tapped Luca
Ragonese to design the men's collection.
Ragonese clearly worked carefully to keep things clean and highly Nordic - the aesthetic
we've come to expect from Bally's ready-to-wear.
In this precise yet somewhat staid show, serious models with hair cropped within a
millimeter of the scalp showcased clothes which were equally as straight-forward and fuss-free.
Ragonese's big idea on the runway was slim leg pants, often of the riding variety, which
hugged at button-tapered ankles and were paired with paper-thin leather jackets.
The skin-tight variation looked super-sleek on the Bally men's squad, but regular guys
will have to go for the looser cashmere flannel or cotton twill versions if they want
to avoid being heckled.
Bally's bread and butter has always been its shoes and accessories.
Today, an oversized cinch-sack and briefcase looked sharp, but fresher still were the
flat shoes whose morphed straps and buckles whiffed of John Lobb's masterful designs.
Best of the bunch were the brown suede thin boots with extra straps, which will please
both Bally's customers and its sales team.
Also new on the runway was the brand's first venture into eveningwear.
Ragonese kept things pared down, reducing long black jackets to wrap-around, tie-front
robes which looked like luxurious loungewear for the bedroom.
Although responsible for the collection, Franchini was careful to point out today that
Ragonese's role is strictly in the capacity of "design director."
While certainly not derogatory, perhaps the term helps explain why the elusive
Ragonese never appeared after the show to take a final bow.
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