Models walked in platform flip-flops, resembling a cross between a Birkenstock (think thick brown straps, which crossed the feet) and the Japanese Geta (shoes with elevated wooden bases) for the Marni Spring Summer 2014 ready-to-wear show on Sunday.
Although summer was in the air, from the visors shaped to curve around the face to the funky footwear, this season’s collection seemed to be designed with a more sophisticated (summer) outing in mind.
There were rich, cozy-looking linens, used for knee-length skirts -- inspired, perhaps, by a sarong. But an olive colored skirt was worn with a feminine white jacket and cinched at the waist with a narrow black belt, like many pieces in the collection, revealing a sexy hint of midriff and delicate wrists beneath three-quarter-length sleeves. Elongated trousers, secured high on the waist by a narrow belt,extended below the ankles and folded around the legs, seemingly inspired by draping.
A long white sheet of material that was wrapped artfully around the legs looked like an elegant version of old-man’s (Charlie Chaplin style) trousers, tied with a piece of string. (The trousers in silver and white were paired with simple black long-sleeved tops, and folded at the ankle in an elongated turn-up, adding a funky edge.)
Color and carnations came in the form of bomber style jackets, a simple summer dressing-gown inspired coat, and below-the-knee pencil skirts, densely covered in what looked like confetti or fallen petals, in pinks, yellows, blacks, greens, reds, white, and blues.
Delicate printed patterns could be found on black dresses, with fragile, lady-like silhouettes from yesteryear. These were busied with light green clusters, arranged like the fuzzy patterns that come into sight after staring at bright sunlight.
Plain-cut linen linen dresses combined panels of materials in pasteland blue shades, covered in pencil-thin branches and artfully drawn leaves. Ruffles adorned a cream-colored, knee-length linen skirt, giving it a funky edge.
The decoration became richer for the finale, with a green bomber-style jacket and straight knee-length skirt encrusted with fine jewels, looking like dense forest seen from high above.
At Marni, even the visors were bejeweled. The shopper bags continued the petal effect, made perhaps from extra material from a wedding dress covered in rosettes.
Shoes developed into high-heel flip-flops and bags came in Tartan-like checks. The jewelry looked almost tribal, with oblong panels hanging from chocker-style rope, adorned in what looked like symbols from an ancient religion. The show was met by a standing ovation.