Classic is not a term often associated with Rossella Jardini, but it did prove a very apt way to describe her fall vision. For starters, she delivered a relatively restrained, ladylike collection, homing in on simple silhouettes and glamorous basics: draped LBDs, cocoon-shaped overcoats and nipped smoking jackets. To this, Jardini added that most classic of Moschino motifs: the ruffle. They came every which way — cascading down skirts, sprouting from under a blazer, trimming necklines and sleeves, in allover tight tiers; the permutations were endless, including a trompe l’oeil print on gowns and trenches. Then came more Surrealist humor with bows — the oversize bow-as-dress worked; the one topping off a ribbed, corrugated, cardboardlike shift didn’t — as well as an opposites “Janus” motif, where a look appeared different from the right versus left view. Even the accessories got a whimsical treatment: boot-sandal hybrids, Minnie Mouse-eared hats and tightly cinched yet unbuckled belts that only a hardcore Dali enthusiast could love.



