Alessandra Facchinetti took the Milan runway captive with her first collection at Tod’s. The Spring 2014 Ready to Wear show took the current athletic, adrenaline-pumped trend to an elevated serenity. Deceptively simple dresses and suits revealed impressive sartorial craftsmanship in a remarkably cohesive collection. Facchinetti’s S2014 woman clearly glides from café to office to dinner without breaking her slippered stride.
When treated as any other fabric, as it was in this collection, leather brings saturated color, refined structure, and defined drape. Those elements, combined with precise fit and cut, put the attention on their wearer with the most flattering rose gel spot. Massive mod bracelets in leather and brass, show off a delicate wrist. Obi-like brick red belts define easy double-breasted suits (which are rarely easy to wear without that touch). An asymmetrically zippered cape, that often overdone outerwear, tops blush shorts. Laser cut eyelet is as striking as open-cut backs. A full dove grey circle skirt, paired with a simple white oxford shirt, is versatile enough for coffee or for a holiday party. Flat sandals and loafers, the line’s signature product, add casual elegance without detracting from the garments.
If upcoming collections continue as successfully, Diego Della Valle, Tod’s group chairman, chose well hiring Facchinetti, with her Italian house “DNA,” as Creative Director. From first to last look, and head to toe, the collection does right by the brand’s history and sellable future.
Images courtesy Style.com