Rochas celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, and Alessandro Dell’Acqua began his tribute with a heritage collection for fall. He went back to the beginning, reviving the early work of Marcel Rochas — specifically, the 1934 collection dedicated to birds that inspired swallow prints, and generally with Thirties-inspired silhouettes. Engaging with some deep house history was a nice turn from a label that’s seen its share of differing creative visions in the recent past. It also gave Dell’Acqua a definitive framework, which seemed to help him deliver a more concise fashion message than he has in his previous collections, though he has yet to find the perfect tone. This was about refined femininity with a touch of the audacious packaged in retro-traditional silhouettes.
Not everything clicked. The shade of brown/loden green that defined the beginning of the show served to underscore the stripped-down construction of the garments, such as belted sheaths and tailored jackets with long, loopy bow-tied necks, but it was as dreary and one-dimensional as pre-color film and just as dated. If not dull, the oddball boldness of marigold and brown was not easy on the eyes.
Dell’Acqua did best with a tension of quirky whimsy delivered in the context of a traditional ladylike attitude. For example, spaghetti-strap tops with cartoonish sweetheart necklines traced in ruffles had a funny charm, and the eveningwear comprised of black embroidered Chantilly lace and feather trims was a graceful fusion of old Rochas and new.