Luca Luca

NEW YORK, February 5, 2007
By Meenal Mistry
It's no secret that Luca Orlandi likes to get as much glitz as possible into his front row. Sitting runwayside this season were Petra Nemcova, J.C. Chasez, Amber Tamblyn, Carmen Electra, and The Hills' Lauren Conrad and Audrina Partridge. Not a bad turnout for an arctic post-Super Bowl Monday afternoon.

What's more, Orlandi decided to take that glitz to the runway in a collection so chock-full of metallics that any Luca lover who doesn't like to sparkle will have to find her winter wardrobe elsewhere. The designer worked the idea again and again in all manner of sequins, Lurex, and iridescent silk. Though he mostly played it earthbound, Orlandi occasionally skewed futuristic, as in a liquid silver hooded bodysuit layered under a skirtsuit. The Luca Luca lady is hardly a wallflower, but at times it was a bit of an overload even for her.

Reworked fur—an early Fall trend—also made repeat appearances, tiered with chiffon into a skirt, or trimming a sequined dress in stripes. While it may seem luxurious in theory to use fur in such unusual ways, in practice it can be tricky. A chic chocolate sheared-mink-and-crocodile coat showed that restraint might just be the key to making it work. Another relatively plain coat also stood out, this one a winter-white trench with a collar lightly embellished with clear crystal chunks. It proved that you don't always need to shine so brightly to grab someone's attention.