MILAN, February 20, 2007 – Whisking away the drapey jersey and pin-tucked chiffons of her Spring collection like so much fluff, Alberta Ferretti came out strong for Fall. Given the less-is-more direction in which fashion seems to be heading, it was perfect timing. She’ll never be a minimalist, of course, so the smart pea jacket that opened the show came with puff sleeves, while a V-neck dress had a flaring hourglass shape that shaded from dove gray at the bodice to charcoal at the knee. Coats were potent, too. If their inspirations were retro, their lines were reproportioned to look new. One princess silhouette was decorated with a warm sunset print. Glossy leathers were studded, as is the trend this season.

Ferretti is a designer who truly gets evening, satisfying both the desire for ornament and the less glamorous, but no less important, need for ease. Despite all of the pretty embellishments (cocktail dresses with gold sequins arrayed in Art Deco geometries or feathers aligned in horizontal stripes), there wasn’t a lot of trickery. And as for the red carpet, get those gowns on a plane, pronto! Especially the ice-blue number aswirl with ruched chiffon, and the strapless black coupe de velour: The Oscars are only half a week away.

– Nicole Phelps