THE EDGE

THE REVIEW: SPRING 2011
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

Tim Blanks and I have thought of the same, classic American novelist after seeing Salvatore Ferragamo's Spring 2011 collection. On Blanks' review for Style.com, he mentioned F. Scott Fitzgerald (my favorite writer of all time) and how these looks mirror what the icon might've been wearing.

Pretty much like most Milanese collections, Ferragamo went full-on lounge mode. Collections like Gianfranco Ferre, Corneliani, D&G, Etro and Ermenegildo Zegna, though different in inspirations, all took on that laid-back elegance that stormed the runways of Milan. Ferragamo, was no different. It was easy, relaxed but impeccably dressed and elegant.

A color palette so pleasing and calming to the eyes, revolved around nautical hues: cream, white, chocolate brown and navy.

Tim Blanks, who really made me happy, cited Jay Gatsby as the perfect model to sport such elegant, chic and comfortable luxuries. The fictional character from the 20s did have a closet full of silk shirts fresh from London (though Ferragamo has nothing British about it) and it'd be no surprise to see pieces from this collection in Gatsby's wardrobe.

The best looks consisted of very simple pieces: a monochromatic head-to-toe cream ensemble that featured a grainy, fit t-shirt tucked in belted khaki trousers worn with two-toned leather shoes. A navy blue cable-knit sweater seemed to have melted gloriously atop a cream silk button down, reminiscent of old buttery pyjamas worn by the wealthy. And also a cream toggle coat, so classic yet refreshingly relevant for a collection that banked on a subtle luxurious effect.

Trousers did as much to the looks as their tops, like an ocean blue pair that made the impression of the model, gliding through water. Jackets came in striped or solid, providing a dressier edge to a rather too soft and liquid look.

For Gatsby, it all mattered: the shoes, the featherweight trousers, the neat jacket and the silk button down. And if ever he was real, he'd buy the entire collection off, wearing one of the looks to linger over tea in his garden while watching friends who take to the same fashion as he is in...heavenly bodies, swathed in the softest, most beautiful clothes the world could offer.

-Gerard