Like in a painting, the Elisabetta Franchi woman walks amid an American prairie, of the late 1800’s, caressed by ears of wheat and sweetly embraced by a light breeze, on roads that take us to a timeless dimension. We see a return to tradition, to values of the past lifted from a trunk full of memories adapted to modern times.

A romantic idyll sweeps through the new Spring-Summer 2018 season; the protagonist is a woman immersed in the poetry of Mother Earth, covered by the sensual weightlessness of long, refined dresses. A delicately bucolic quality envelops the collection, imbuing femininity with a concealed, not blatant sensuality, glimpsed through effects of transparencies, cutwork and evocations of lingerie.

The collection is an ode to purity: it is an ethereal woman who strides the catwalks. Nature takes form in pieces in silk voile, tulle and cotton muslin in full volumes. Elaborate couture constructions and three-dimensional embroidery adorn the clothes together with criss-crosses of ribbon, lace and pearls that are throwbacks to another era. A linking theme is an ear of wheat that, alongside a flower motif, animates the magical world of nature.

Among the accessories are large-brimmed hats, belts that allude to corsetry, and jewels with an aged effect. The micro bags, like small jewel cases, carry secrets that emanate tradition and echo the details of the collection: floral embroideries and tassels that echo the wheat ear motif. Cross lacing characterises the footwear; ankle boots and mid-height cuissarde boots stand out among the choice.

A palette that takes us back to nature: dusty whites and ivory are the main hues, matched with delicate tones of eggshell and mid-blue. For contrast, an assertive black and the musts of the maison, vintage rose and beigey pink.

The iconic pieces of the collection will appear on the catwalk reinterpreted in a petite version, to be included in the Elisabetta Franchi SS18 season “La mia Bambina”.