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For the past five days, we’ve been seeing the same familiar teenage faces pout their way down the runway, show after show. So it’s refreshing to see a designer buck the trend and cast women aho may just be (gasp!) around the same age as their customer. Norisol Ferrari did just that at her show yesterday morning, sending icons like Carol Alt, Alva Chinn, and Carmen Dell’Orefice down the catwalk amidst some of the fresher faces. The industry vets were a huge hit with the crowd, especially since they didn’t just do the old walk-turnrepeat favored by most designers these days. Chinn, for her part, sashayed leisurely down the runway, stopping to strike a seductive pose or two along the way. The silver-coiffed Dell’Orefice, too, interrupted her walk to elegantly mug for the cameras, eliciting much hooting and hollering from the audience. It was a lot of enthusiasm coming from a crowd consisting largely of Upper East Side types. But then, these were definitely clothes for the confident, mature, and above all sophisticated woman. There was a definite femme fatale vibe to the collection, which included seaside separates paired with oversized hats, trim neutral pieces, and sweeping evening gowns. And while we’re not sure we quite possess the attitude to pull off the saucer-sized chapeaux, we have no doubt Dell’Orefice and crew would put today’s street style stars to shame under one of the toppers.
If you’ve been following Lucire’s Twitter feed, you’ll know our Angela Gilltrap had a fantastic time at Norisol Ferrari, whose collection based itself on blacks, whites, greys and caramel—a consequence of the designer’s upbringing around black-and-white television. The collection, which Ferrari says is best embodied by Eartha Kitt because of her sensuality and elegance, found its inspiration in the streets of New York—and one New York legend, 81-year-old model Carmen dell’Orefice, walked her runway wearing a caramel gown. Carol Alt, another native New Yorker, also walked Ferrari’s spring runway.
On September 10, 2012, I attended Norisol Ferrari’s Spring 2013 show and was blown away. As it’s designed for the spring season, the collection is a departure from the beautiful furs and outerwear that we think of when we think of Norisol. While expertly tailored, the collection is light and airy. The garments—including fitted, 1940s-inspired dresses, suiting and a breathtaking floor-length evening coat—have movement. The show was styled perfectly, from the Kentucky Derby–worthy hats to the gorgeous cat-eye glasses. Each model wore a tasteful assortment of diamonds and walked the runway in classic Manolo Blahniks, which in some cases added pops of red, gold and green to the neutral palette. From MartyParty’s soundtrack to model casting that included Carmen Dell’Orefice and Carol Alt, the show was flawlessly executed. The collection is sexy, elegant and designed with practical details for real women’s bodies. And it’s diverse enough to take care of my entire Spring/Summer wardrobe.