MILAN – Instead of “Off with her head!,” it’s “Off with that bow!”
Alice in Wonderland finally can ditch that blue dress and white smock once and for all. And that classic black hair ribbon is so pre-rabbit hole.
Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi have created a whole grown-up wardrobe for Alice, who, according to the press notes, is “a woman able to dream and follow her dreams.” She’s less Lewis Carroll’s young girl and more Tim Burton’s edgier creation.
There’s a lot of “muchness” in the looks, presented Saturday on the fourth day of winter 2014 preview shows.
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Outfits were sculpted in inventive ways that incorporated playing card motifs, the designing duo’s classic styles and stiff, masculine fabrics.
AquilanoRimondi’s pencil-into-bubble dress had many variations, including innocent red plaid, belted, with short, puffed black velvet sleeves with golden hearts. Others shimmered fantastically with black sequins. The pair gave one nod to innocence, with a lace collar.
There also were flared skirts with voluminous folds, an homage to the 1950s, often in plaid or checked tweeds.
Hearts were one of the prevailing motifs, showing up as patterns on silken fabrics and in neat rows down the back of high-heeled shoes. They also formed large panels on the front of dresses that cleverly concealed pockets.
Velvet provided rich accents, for example, on the bodices of shoulder-baring sheath dresses. And golden embroidery enriched long coat and business suits, both belted, as one of the prevailing trends this season.
Shoes were stiletto pumps bearing playing card motifs down the back of the heel, or suede thigh-high boots so thin they almost appeared to be tights.
The updated Alice has her hair pulled up in a bun, and blue eye shadow helps capture the wonder in her eyes.
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