LA PERLA LAUNCHES IT'S READY TO WEAR COLLECTION - MILAN - SS17
Julia Haart, La Perla's new creative director, interpreted the concept of liberation in every aspect of her first season. The designer approached the collections with a deep connection to the brand's founder, Ada Masotti, a corsetière who opened her own lingerie laboratory in Bologna in 1954. Ada Masotti designed lingerie with attention to how women wanted to feel: sensual, beautiful, and comfortable with themselves. As a female Creative Director, Julia Haart shares these values. Among her fixed principles is the desire to liberate women from sacrificing for beauty: curves are intrinsic to feminine identity, and clothes must begin with an understanding of women's bodies. In the women's ready-to-wear collection, the designer created clothes with lingerie-expertise inspired by the brand's close-cut know how. Clothes embrace the body like perfectly fitted lingerie, with fabrics that feel as good on the inside as they look outside. The pieces can be worn by all women on all occasions.
Julia Haart envisioned a journey of liberation through flowering blossoms, geographic maps and colorful, shimmering silk forms as the visual thread that runs through the ready-to-wear collection. The beautiful designs rendered in soft bi-stretch fabric move as the wearer moves, revealing an expert understanding of the female form, the real DNA code of La Perla.
Prints in the collection are eyecatching: the topography of a fjord is transformed into micro and macro motifs, blooming roses reveal entrancing maps nestled amongst their petals in a classic stripe, and dazzling colors illuminate cascades of floral bouquets. The prints adorn closefitted jackets, and highwaisted tailored shorts paired with bralettes and vests that take cues from bustiers, but enhance curves without any traditional wiring. Three showstopping long dresses anchor the collection's red carpet appeal: a shirt collar is the perfect counterpoint to a high slit, the fjord print is dotted with hand sewn sequins, a calligraphyesque "Autografo" motif embroidered over stretch silk with black inserts emphasizes the décolleté, and silk georgette embellished with soutache inserts plays with sheer detailing at the sides and neckline. These looks are dazzling and refined, but move with stretch to adapt to the female form on the body.
Special attention has been dedicated to Essentials that truly meet the core needs of women's wardrobes. A bistretch, cool wool Corset Jacket is the undisputed protagonist of the collection, embodying the feeling and support of lingerie with internal cups and finely tailored darts, sized according to bust for the perfect fit inside and out. It fastens with a row of hooks and can be worn without additional undergarments: they are built in. It can also be worn as suiting in its dress version, or paired with new soft wool leggings.
Iterations of the standout jacket are also shown with highwaisted slim cut pants and loose, flowing silk pants. The very same tailoring strategy is at the core of shirts shaped to the body and Tshirts designed and cut for the feminine form, made from silk, cotton and stretch.
Embroidered tulle, Leavers lace and macramé are La Perla heritage fabrics and form the starting point for a collection that has been updated with modern silhouettes like the boy-shorts. In particular, Julia Haart focused on variations of the bra, such as the non-wired push up bra or the triangle bra with a plunging V neck, which offer unprecedented possibilities for wear and an entirely new feeling of freedom. Alluring macramé reveals its talent for flirting with sheerness in the babydoll, alternating with nude tulle and silk georgette inserts. This fabric becomes the star of not only bras, bodysuits and briefs, but also of a silk dress into which lingerie style codes have been flawlessly translated.
The "Autografo" embroidery is reminiscent of calligraphy that has been sketched over the body, created by an impalpable nude stretch mesh, embroidered with seductive motifs. Here, the bodysuit takes center stage, creating the illusion of being a set thanks to the invisible tulle inserts.
There is no short supply of versatile pieces that elegantly toe the boundary between lingerie and clothing: graphic tops, bodysuits in soft, stretch silk yarn wrap around the body like a caress.
Cascades of pearls outline the curves of the body, transforming one pieces and bikinis into garments begging to be worn both on and off the beach. The color block trend has been freshly interpreted in geometrically-shaped pieces inspired by the allure of the unforgettable bikini worn by Ursula Andress in her turn as a Bond girl in the 1960s. Vivacious energy exudes from these pieces, adorned with stylized starfish, brushed stripes, city maps and colorful plastic panels.
A sensual back is emphasized with cutout accents, while plunging necklines and boy-shorts reveal a new side to swimwear's personality. Bikinis and one pieces are offered alongside a versatile RESORTWEAR collection conceived to be the 24/7 vacation wardrobe. Fluid bi-stretch, crêpe and georgette silks, soft viscose and fresh cotton emphasize the effortless femininity of each and every piece.
An elegant cape with contrasting trim and a two-tone dress with paneling contributes to the casual glamour of the collection's rompers and shorts, all of which can be worn at the beach, on a yacht or at a pool party. Special attention has been paid to warm weather jumpsuits, which flow over the body, making them the perfect alternative to an evening dress. Cotton stretch seersucker cover ups with multicolored mosaic print that echoes the color palette of the bathing suits are designed with white bands that emphasize shape, and curve around the body. The same mosaic design found in the print transforms into a seductive spider web in the collection's block-color knitwear.
D'Orsey sandals are coated in sparkling sequins and also feature shimmering reflective accents on the shiny upper. Leather platform sandals with crisscross straps boast sleek, ultra-feminine lines. Pumps and booties feature a surprising accent: lacquer heels with streaks of color. Perforated leather mules adorned with floral motifs – inspired by the precious decoration of the signature Petit Macramé collection – represent the extension of lingerie style codes to the realm of accessories. Flat leather sandals with a chain accent and a hand enameled suspender hook complete the collection.