Daily Front Row

2009 March 2

Runway Reviews

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Emillio Pucci Fall 2009
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(MILAN) Emilio Pucci
In Peter Dundas' first collection for Pucci, there was very little nodding to the past. With the exception of a few abstract prints, gone were the Slim Aarons days when Pucci meant a bikini and a headscarf, rendered in those trademark psychadelic prints. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Dundas returned to his usual rock n' rolling, sending micromini tube dresses and second-skin snakeskin pants down the runway as several clients outfitted entirely in Matthew Williamson's designs for the house appeared disconcerted. Yes, ladies, the guard has changed. The strongest looks included fur-lined parkas and oversized fox, no surprise given that Dundas also oversees design for French furrier Revillon. His challenge is to cultivate a new Pucci customer, one who looks more to the future than the past--a postmodern Barbarella, if you will. Should Dundas succeed, he will usher this LVMH brand into its latest golden age. And from a front-row perch, Delphine Arnault was watching.

Roberto Cavalli
Harder--no, softer. Cavalli's Fall collection appealed to fashion rebels while giving them a chance to reveal just a bit of girlishness. This biker babe was black and navy, leather and chiffon, a la Thriller goes to prom. Several floor-grazing longsleeved gowns with silver beaded trim demand red carpet appearances--Blanchett, your Cavalli time is now---while a few draped silk cocktail dresses in lighter shades of grey will satisfy the Cavalli customer that demands such treats season after season. Consider your fall trends written in stone.