Although it was likely unintentional, romantic looks recalled the ferocious style of famed female Chinese pirate, Ching Shih, on the Roberto Cavalli Fall/Winter 2015 runway. During the later Victorian era, opium trade from China was at an all-time high, affording the dread pirate Shih the opportunity to rule the open waters surrounding China’s harbors. Britain’s influence on Chinese styles at the time were co-opted by the pirate empress, and these elements were born out on the Cavalli runway, under the umbrella of iconic brand opulence.
Romantic looks recalled the ferocious style of famed female Chinese pirate, Ching Shih, on the Roberto Cavalli FW15 runway.
With its blend of Victorian silhouettes, sailor suiting, razor-sharp tailoring, and Asian-inspired embellishment, the collection comes off as fearless, but classically Cavalli. The show launches with a familiar look: an animal-print mini worn with an enormous jet black fur coat. Glamorous, but predictable. Cavalli veered into new territory when he began to synthesize the Asiatic and the seafaring. Gowns with ruffled jabots and sleeves were shown next to dresses covered in gilded florals, or the pirate/Victorian elements were married together on single looks. The designer then modernized his efforts by showing a series of body-conscious dresses intersected by swaths of floral prints which were paired with shaggy fur tops or coats. A subtle street element crept into the proceedings on fur-lined parkas, silk animal print trousers, cropped tops, and micro-studded minis. With looks so vibrantly luxurious, we suspect that if Shih were alive today, she would captain the Cavalli ship and assume possession of all its gilded, extraordinary wares.
Photos: Courtesy of Imaxtree
