Berardi goes long on style

Laura Craik
22 Feb 2010

Mini skirt fans, look away now — for autumn 2010, it's all about the longer length and covert sexuality, heavily hinted at but mainly hidden.

Antonio Berardi presented a sharp, focused collection inspired, he said, by an old Helmut Newton photograph from the early Eighties. But there were no obvious references to any decade: instead, it was completely forward-looking.

The first exit, a belted black trenchcoat in shiny silk, set the tone, its collars exaggerated curlicues and worn with sheer black stockings and simple black stilettos by Christian Louboutin.

Sharp tailoring dominated, such as with a black pencil skirt, slashed to the thigh to reveal a suspender belt, but softened by a sheer chiffon blouse with a pussy bow. Jackets were tight and cinched at the waist, while dresses were so body-conscious that you could almost see what the models had for breakfast. Which, judging by their waists, wasn't very much.

Berardi is a skilful tailor, who makes great use of traditional corsetry techniques, and the tighter dresses were fitted with invisible power mesh body support. Evidence of the lacy corsetry peeked through at times, such as when a bra cup became visible beneath a plunging sweetheart neckline, or a lacy corset was revealed at the side of a cutaway gown.

The finale, a selection of long, lean dresses in blood red velvet with deep cowl backs, was particularly dramatic, and a departure for Berardi. He said: “I've never done long dresses before, so this is new for me. But it just felt right.”