To have John Galliano and Romeo Gigli working again is a dream come true, but that’s not because The Fashionable Truth is a nostalgic romantic with its eyes fixed on the rear view mirror. Galliano and Gigli were always a few decades ahead of their time so the rest of the fashion world is the party playing catch-up. In any case there are those who consider the aristocratic and erudite Gigli to be an out-and-out modernist. Among their ranks are the fashion forward buyers at Joyce in Hong Kong where his latest collection was unveiled as one that “…will appeal to a new generation looking for modern and relevant fashion.” They must mean those members of the new generation (do we really have generations any more?) who yearn for romance and femininity in their women’s wear. The SS 2013 Gigli offering is one for the ladies, with its fragile shapes and floating lace that creates effortless volume. The look modelled by Lela ShiQing Wang is a terrific example of what can be done by a designer who understands that clothes are architecture and has the skills to cut fabric to look like it’s made of filigree but still has substance and form. These are dresses to make a man’s heart beat faster. Go to Joyce for more information on the full collection that includes some nifty looks for gentlemen as well – at least for those dapper souls who like a painterly touch on their suits complete with brushstrokes, smudges and stripes. Bravo Gigilissimo!
