For Roberto Cavalli designer_ dreams come in all black
Black may have been the colour chosen by Roberto Cavalli's creative director for the new women's collection at Milan Fashion Week_ but Fausto Puglisi is hardly feeling negative.
The nearly all-black palette -- accentuated with romantic jolts of lilac and plum -- used by Puglisi Thursday night at Milan Fashion Week was instead a defiant statement for the label known for its bold_ often aggressive colours and animal prints.
"I wanted the collection to be black because I still have my dreams_" Puglisi told AFP backstage after the show_ where a version of the Eurythmics' 1980s pop classic "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" accompanied the models down the catwalk.
Stiff embossed black leather on cropped jackets or skirts jutted out dramatically like mushroom caps while slouchy_ low-slung trousers sewn from black vinyl shimmered like black liquid.
The dark collection nevertheless celebrated lightness and texture_ with a strong dose of see-through black lace -- on tight sleeves_ barely there slip dresses or paired with black velvet.
Persian lamb -- faux_ of course -- had its moment_ on trousers_ coats_ jackets and intermixed with black velvet to form the ruffles of a long skirt paired with lace-up boots.
"It's fake_" enthused Puglisi proudly of the glossy_ tightly curled Persian lamb.
"I love animals_ I would never use real fur."
'Continue to dream'
Puglisi recreated the look of fur_ its wispiness and colour variations_ by printing it on flowing fabric_ while a long black form-fitting tunic used sheer cut-outs to reproduce the stripes of a zebra.
A mood board backstage showed Old Master floral still lifes_ Roman centurion breastplates and leather strips worn as armour_ as well as black-and-white photographs of goth-like images and other inspirations.
Did Puglisi find it hard to be working in fashion in the current state of the world?
"I think it's important to create beauty. Always. It's like telling a director to stop_ it's the same thing_" he said_ calling fashion_ films and music "escapism".
"I think it's very important to keep creating with the vision of a child_ with naivety and freshness_" he added.
"I will not allow any dictator to stop my creativity. I continue to create and I continue to dream_" he said.
To that effect_ the last look of the night was a showstopper.
Its high necked top mixed lace_ cut-outs and ruffles while its skirt looked like it had been sewn from a million black faux feathers.
All the better for Puglisi's dreams to take flight.