September 11, 2006
New York City
If Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty then Luca Orlandi, the powerhouse behind Luca Luca must be the god. If such is true, than surely from one of Orlandi's glimmery designs a bit of the heavenly beauty will rub off on me. While this may not be Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth, it may be the next best thing, the fountain of beauty. Don't they give out Nobel Prizes for this kind of discovery? With that in mind I zipped off to the Promenade in Bryant Park searching for the cure to everlasting beauty, a flirty frock from Luca Luca's Spring 2007 Collection. The only problem I had when I got there was I couldn't pick just one.
A matte grey skirt with glittery silver top covered with a white short sleeved cropped jacket followed by a grey tulip skirt with mini white tank eluded to Orlandi's inspiration for the collection, a rebellious young woman who grew up too quickly, strong and confident in her femininity. A cuffed pair of loose Bermuda's alongside a grey tank with adoring white beads, a white pair of cigarette pants with a shiny silver top and double breasted cropped jacket and a black and white v-neck baby doll were atypical silhouettes moving outside of the designer's usual construction patterns. Taking its place was a rayon and linen raincoat over a tulle and silk shantung tank with a striped silk and cotton ottoman skirt.
The out of the box looks suggested Orlandi had his fashion binoculars set on a younger hipper crowd, but the designer did not leave his faithful 5th avenue followers without a bit of dazzle. A pin-tucked organza gown with crystal bustier, a fluttery white gown with oversized black bow and a hypnotic black and white print gown took the fashion high road with the designer's typical show of eveningwear. He did add unexpected pieces to the eveningwear ensemble with tiny tee's and toddler tanks worn under the glitzy gowns.
Pure bright whites, debonair blacks and oatmeal khaki's encompassed much of the color palette, while tomato reds spruced up the laid back color choices. A perfect example was one of my absolute favorite looks of the collection, a soft white baby doll with a handful of red flowers scattered around the print. A mini empire frock with a high-waisted red bow had the same effect. The occasional group of bangles, black disc necklaces and small clutches were the main accessories. Hair was pulled back with side swept bangs.
It isn't hard to see why I love Luca Luca so much. Orlandi turned to New York, my first love, for his inspiration and he was trained in his native Milan, my second love. Turns out a girl doesn't always have to choose. Sometimes, if you are lucky you get them both. If only I could have all of the line's thirty three impressive modernized silhouettes and combinations. I am just happy I have until next spring to decide which pieces will become my fountain of beauty.
