Alberta Ferretti has spent more than four decades defining a personal brand that is rooted in light, easy femininity. And so her Fall/Winter 2023 collection, which debuted in Milan this afternoon, was something of a surprise. Gone was the colour palette that has defined the Ferretti aesthetic in the past: creams, beiges, pinks, ivories, and tangerines. This season the designer is attracted to something… darker. Quite literally so—over two-thirds of the looks were head-to-toe black, the others wine red, charcoal grey, and chocolate brown.
This darker sensibility influenced the silhouettes too. A decidedly boudoir theme was present throughout the collection: slinky velvet slip dresses, sheer evening gowns, and little lace slips worn under oversized leather trench coats (the perfect attire for a romantic rendezvous). Ferretti’s approach to sensuality is far less overt than, say, Glenn Martens at Diesel (both brands showed in Milan on the same afternoon), but that subtlety doesn’t make it less compelling. Low-rise satin slip skirts, woollen hoods (an ongoing favourite for the fashion crowd this season), and sharp leather blazers all paid homage to the current decade du-jour: the late ’90s. Seen through the Ferretti lens, these pieces felt elegant rather than thrifted.
The collection was aptly titled “After Dark Blooms”, with the designer taking inspiration from “nocturnal gardens”. Hence the appearance of rose motifs, which appeared as supersized prints on draped slip dresses and silk pussybow blouses. Speaking of “after dark”, the eveningwear was particuarly strong this season, be it supermodel Grace Elizabeth in an elegant appliqued gown, or Mona Tougaard in the deceptively chic opening look: a strapless grey gown with intricate corset detailing, worn with sheer opera gloves. Ferretti said after the show that “I have to be very concentrated on communicating who I am – my DNA.” It’s a skill few designers possess, and it explains her longevity in a business that is notoriously fickle.
