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La Perla's Barely-There Outerwear
By J.J. Martin
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Mar 6, 2003/ FWD/ --- Luxury Italian lingerie house La Perla is out to prove that
its fashion closet isn't just a satin-lined drawer stuffed with expensive bras and panties.
So for its burgeoning pręt-a-porter line, now in its third season, who better to take the
design reins than Alessandro Dell'Acqua, the bona fide master of turning underwear into
barely-legal outwear?
In his own signature collection, Dell'Acqua has for years been whipping camis and bras
into creations you'd wear to a sexy cocktail party.
His runway show for La Perla Saturday in Milan had just the same exuberant mix of racy
lingerie elements and splashes of dressed-up glamour.
Chiffon, which is to Dell'Acqua like butter to a French chef, was the launching point for
the collection, showing up on ruffle-trimmed dresses and billowing blouses cinched up
with black satin bows.
The look was not sweet young bride waiting for her husband to come home, but rather foxy,
tough girl out on her own.
The harder edge was cut with raw '80s influences like bright neon colors and pencil thin,
sweatpant leggings pegged on impossible stiletto sandals.
But the lingerie angle kept things soft but, at times, overly romantic.
Dell'Acqua pulled out all the eye candy -- lace, satin, silk, sheer nets and glitter --
from his bag of brassiere tricks.
When all of this was piled onto a single dress, the result was fussy and complicated;
however, when single pieces were paired with simple black trousers, the effect was striking.
Best were the gauzy lace tanks and shirts that were slashed up and decorated with jeweled
trim and colored ostrich feathers that waved off the shoulders like angel's wings.
This is a winter collection though, so those light as air concoctions need some decent
cover-ups.
Dell'Acqua went super luxe, throwing silver fox shrugs and capes cascading with Mongolian
fur over the girls' skinny shoulders.
And when they really start to shiver in those silly satin teddies worn over tights, solace
was found in a full-length chocolate astrakhan jacket.
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