With figure-hugging trousers, capris and shorts, fitted, tailored jackets cinched at the waist and pleated in the back and cropped tops, Ferrari celebrated the female form and emphasized all of its curves.
Each of the 33 designs had a suggestive title ranging from A Woman in Love and Girl's Night Out to The Last Tango and An Affair to Remember. Unlike other shows that feature young, waif-like models, many of Ferrari's designs were modeled women of a certain age, including one-time supermodel 51-year-old Carol Alt, who drew applause in a flowing, belted black and cream gown. She was followed by Carmen Dell'Orefice, who turned 71 this year, and wowed the audience in a long-sleeve, fitted 30s style beige gown that was simply titled It's Carmen. The collection, which featured plenty of black, white, cream colors, had a La Dolce Vita glamour with column gowns, below-the-knee and tapered hemlines and sleek and waisted dresses with button. New York-based designer Zac Posen featured a similar look with his collection of gown and cocktail dresses, hourglass silhouettes and floor-dusting trains. Naomi Campbell opened his show modeling a silk twill and chiffon day dress with a Rorschach-like pink hibiscus print, one of two floral designs that recurred throughout the collection. Several gowns curved tightly through the waist and legs before billowing into clouds of silk, although he occasionally deviated from the hourglass silhouette with wide frilly flourishes at the waist. Posen also showed jumpsuits with wide-width pants. The semi-annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion week attracts about 116,000 models, designers, buyers and wealthy customers to New York. Herrera's love of prints was evident in a motif in pastel shades that she used in various dresses, blouses and skirts that gave a cohesion to the entire collection "Every dress was stunning," gushed a member of the audience that included activist and former rock star wife Bianca Jagger, actress Julianne Hough, tennis great Boris Becker and "Vanity Fair" editor Graydon Carter. While Herrera opted for flirtation and romance, Norisol Ferrari, another Venezuelan-born designer, had Old Hollywood and actresses Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Rita Moreno in mind when she designed her spring collection, which featured strong lines, bold colors and plenty of. She described the actresses as "all strong, confident women who command attention, desire and respect," which could also be said of her designs.
