Rossella Jardini, part of the Milan establishment, is back in startup mode. The former creative director of Moschino launched an eponymous collection last February. Season two, shown at the Grand Hotel et de Milan today, was about sharpening the label’s focus. Color, embellishment, and a flirtatious spirit are the hallmarks of the new line. But Spring, more so than her first collection for Fall, has a destination vibe. Chiffon dresses accented with needlepoint flowers, peasant tops and skirts bedecked with tassels, and ruffled off-the-shoulder silk frocks are the kinds of things women are packing for seaside vacations these days, then wearing back in town to hold onto that holiday feeling. What may distinguish Jardini’s offering from those of others is its exuberance, a quality heightened by Viviana Volpicella’s more-is-more accessorizing.
Jardini name-checked Giorgio di Sant’Angelo as a reference point, and anybody who’s been around long enough to remember his ’70s glory days will see the through lines between his multicultural riffing and this gypsy chic offering. (If di Sant’Angelo is new to you, he’s worth looking up). Jardini also mentioned another name backstage, lesser known outside of Rome. Fausto Delle Chiaie, an artist who exhibits on the street in that city, shared four sketches, which she turned into designs for the scarves the models wore in their hair and a ruffled silk dress. “Picasso half-price,” she laughed. Delle Chiaie’s work was another way she elevated the collection beyond familiar resortwear.
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