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PARIS, France — Amidst the drama of the Paris shows, a little lightness can be refreshing. It's more and more rare, however. After a couple of heavy seasons and some apparent indecision on the attributes of today's Rochas woman, Alessandro Dell'Acqua finally nailed it with Wednesday's breezy, painterly show. This was his best outing since taking the creative helm of the venerable Parisian house. Give or take a few too many pussy bows, the collection felt wonderfully light, consistent and cohesive and came in a beautiful array of colours combined in offbeat and charming ways.
Despite the evanescence, this looked like a proposition with real-life potential beyond the fantasy of the catwalk: elegant, feather-light pieces that could be beautifully mixed and matched. The outerwear, including double-faced cashmere coats, was outstanding. Overall, the stress was very much on the product — no grand concept here. But Dell'Acqua's matter-of-factness was no bad thing. Clothes that are just plain nice are always welcome. The only faux pas here were the shoes: heavy satin or jacquard velvet wedges weighed down the collection, giving the looks an overly vintage feel.