Alberta Ferretti RTW Spring 2023

Alberta Ferretti was looking for unexpected touches, details and color combinations for her spring collection. “I always like to add a surprising element to my designs,” the designer said before her show in Milan. Cue the fluid silk pants under a skirt in a clashing yet surprisingly appealing juxtaposition of hues — a sage green top over bright sky blue pants, for example.

This season, Ferretti chose to parade more pants than usual, but they were very feminine, in sync with her time-honed style. In fact, she touted the notion that designers must “evolve their styles naturally but at the same time remain faithful to their core values.” In her case, she said that “certain proportions and a strong respect for the body remain,” avoiding chasing seasonal trends. There’s no denying she understands what her customers want and her designs aim to improve and enhance, never hide or constrict.

For spring, Ferretti’s woman packed up her bags to explore the world. An organza parka over suede pants and a precious embroidered top exemplified her sophisticated take on comfort. Crochet tops were embroidered with stones inserted manually, paying tribute, she said, to Italian craftsmanship.

Lightness ran throughout the collection, with jackets showing handkerchief hems, feather-light trenches and some transparencies under the raffia tunics, culminating in Ferretti’s beautiful silk and chiffon gowns, some enriched with a cascade of embroidered, stylized leaves — another example of the artisans’ manual skills.