Kobi Halperin is glad that glamour has made its return to the world’s runways. “We’re in a moment with fashion where we’re back to being elegant, which is very exciting to me,” said the Emanuel Ungaro women’s designer at his fall presentation. Playing on house references in a glammed up register, he was able to deliver what he summed up as “a very Ungaro collection.”
Inspired by Dali’s “Meditative Rose” painting — as a child, the rose, which he sees as a symbol of sadness, sensuality and hope, was one of his favorite things to draw, he said — Halperin looked to Spain for inspiration. His moody floral prints this season were magnified and blurred “like the memory of a flower,” and lace motifs played an important part in his design lexicon.
The dramatic collection was worked almost exclusively in black, white, red and gold, with the attention of drawing the eye to his lavish details and plays on layering.
Eveningwear was the focus, with bustier gowns or matching corsets and skirts created from lace, draped satin or pleated chiffon and designed to be worn under matching blazers. Many looks had 3D rose embroideries or frills evoking petals accentuating their lapels, necklines and hems.
Familiar silhouettes ticked the boxes Ungaro’s customer looks for, but Halperin shook things up a bit when it came to his fabric treatments, which included dévoré velvet lace and foil-coated guipure, the latter making a statement on frilly flared pants and a matching off-the-shoulder top. Worked in a dégradé of red and black, his pleated chiffon or lace skirts had a more contemporary edge.
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