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The Francer-ification of Cerruti
By J.J. Martin
Photos by Gruber-FWD
More photos: 1 | 2
MILAN, Mar 3, 2003 /FWD/ --- The brand name lit up on the backboard was Cerruti, but the
collection was pure Istvan Francer.
The designer, whose own label has now been suspended, put 100 percent of himself and his
vision for high-minded sophistication into this women's fall collection for the classic
Italian brand.
And after several seasons of struggling to form its new identity apart from its founder
Nino Cerruti, who departed the house in 2000, perhaps this is just what the doctor ordered.
For a designer who usually revels in the ultra-feminine, Francer kept things both focused
and fresh by shooting up his high-society dressing with an unexpected dose of edgy Black
Panther pop.
It was as if the black leather-clad activists had showed up at a salon party in an Upper
East Side brownstone and nobody had batted a disapproving eyelash.
Closely cropped leather jackets and stiletto boots worn over skintight black pants looked
just as chic and perfectly put together as the flounced skirts and narrow pleated overcoats
which also came down the runway.
Cerruti's new girl has the best of both worlds: softly romantic clothes to satisfy her girly
side (what girl wouldn't want a flapper-feather skirt which sparkled like icicles?),
but plenty of harder, Mod looks in which to run around the mean streets.
Francer called his hard looks "radical chic" and although there wasn't anything all that
radical about them, they did feature great looking sculpted designs, like a skintight
strapless tuxedo jumpsuit, or fitted jackets with large collars rising up around the neck.
The fedora hats worn with black leather bandanas, black leather gloves and extra tall boots,
gave the girls an added kick in the pants.
Femininity came out to play with voluminous, prancing skirts and dainty waists elongated with
high-rise belts or seams.
For evening, Francer kept things simple, with long, deep V column dresses which swooshed in
brick or black velvet.
There was nothing groundbreaking in this collection, but it was solid, wearable and
attractive, qualities that shouldn't be taken for granted on the fashion planet.
Francer, working with his own set of eyes, admitted backstage, "I've really put myself
into this collection. It's Cerruti's dressed up elegance, but it's my vision."
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