Alberta Ferretti
Encyclopedia
Alberta Ferretti is an Italian
fashion designer and dressmaker
. She designs for Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. Her showroom is in Milan
, Italy
but her studio is in the picturesque village of Cattolica
, near Rimini
, Italy.
In 1968 Alberta Ferretti opened her first little boutique, called Jolly, in Cattolica
. She designed a first collection in 1973 and was co–founder of Aeffe (a clothing manufacturer and distributor) in 1976. She began showing seasonal collections on runways of Milan, Italy, in 1981. She launched Ferretti Jeans Philosophy in 1989, renamed Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti in 1994. In 1994 she renovated a 13th–century castle into the Palazzo Viviani hotel in Montegridolfo
.
In October 1993 Ferretti presented clothes reminiscent of The Great Gatsby
for the Milan ready-to-wear shows.
One of her designs was a long and trim gingham
dress, in pale blue. A flapper
showed a beige crocheted dress styled just above the knee. Her renditions of the toga
for the production were diverse. They were simple gowns, some of them short, others
long and draped.
Ferretti extended her the breadth of her company outside of Italy beginning with the acquisition of a building at 30 West 56th Street in New York City
. She started Aeffe U.S.A., which produced and distributed clothing by Moschino
, Rifat Ozbek
, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Narcisco Rodriguez. Aeffe is owned by Ferretti and her brother, Massimo. The locale also became the hub for marketing her own collections.
By 1998 she opened in-store boutiques for selling her signature and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti lines at Bergdorf Goodman
. Next she obtained her initial American freestanding store in SoHo
. This business, near Prince Street, is exclusively for her Philosophy collection. It is a lower priced edition of Ferretti's signature line, intended for younger women. In contrast to most designers, she started boutiques for her secondary lines prior to opening a flagship store for her
signature collection. Ferretti's West Broadway (Manhattan) building is located next door to a Rizzoli bookstore. It is a Federal style architecture townhouse built in the late 19th century. It was renovated with a three-story glass front and skylights, so that the interior was filled with natural light. The store was designed by Manhattan architect David Ling
. It is a pristinely white 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) shop. Ferretti signed a licensing deal with Procter & Gamble
for a fragrance line in 2000.
Ferretti is known for her designs featuring twisting, tucking, and draping techniques. Her style employs a subtle layered look, sometimes showing a hint of hand-beaded gauze which extends slightly beneath the hem of a wool dress. The erotic qualities of the chiffon and jersey
fashions she introduced for her spring 2008 fashion collection is evident in the look of her dresses. Many of them are cut high in the front and draped low in the back. Her target customer is the cocktail crowd. Specifically the dresses
are party frocks, above the knee, and enhanced by rhinestone
rosettes and armour-like chain mail. Feretti's collection includes pleated bubbled coats, toga-like minidresses and skirts, and a sparse number of gowns of soft mint green and white hues.
The minidresses and skirts were shown with ethereal models wearing metallic gladiator flats.
In July 2011 her collection was presented at the catwalk of The Brandery
fashion show in Barcelona
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fashion designer and dressmaker
Dressmaker
A dressmaker is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Also called a mantua-maker or a modiste.-Notable dressmakers:*Cristobal Balenciaga*Charles Frederick Worth...
. She designs for Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. Her showroom is in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
but her studio is in the picturesque village of Cattolica
Cattolica
Cattolica is a town and comune in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants.-History:Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in Roman times....
, near Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, Italy.
In 1968 Alberta Ferretti opened her first little boutique, called Jolly, in Cattolica
Cattolica
Cattolica is a town and comune in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants.-History:Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in Roman times....
. She designed a first collection in 1973 and was co–founder of Aeffe (a clothing manufacturer and distributor) in 1976. She began showing seasonal collections on runways of Milan, Italy, in 1981. She launched Ferretti Jeans Philosophy in 1989, renamed Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti in 1994. In 1994 she renovated a 13th–century castle into the Palazzo Viviani hotel in Montegridolfo
Montegridolfo
Montegridolfo is a comune in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 130 km southeast of Bologna and about 20 km southeast of Rimini....
.
In October 1993 Ferretti presented clothes reminiscent of The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
for the Milan ready-to-wear shows.
One of her designs was a long and trim gingham
Gingham
Gingham is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarn.The name originates from an adjective in the Malay language, genggang , meaning striped. Some sources say that the name came into English via Dutch...
dress, in pale blue. A flapper
Flapper
Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...
showed a beige crocheted dress styled just above the knee. Her renditions of the toga
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
for the production were diverse. They were simple gowns, some of them short, others
long and draped.
Ferretti extended her the breadth of her company outside of Italy beginning with the acquisition of a building at 30 West 56th Street in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She started Aeffe U.S.A., which produced and distributed clothing by Moschino
Moschino
Moschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...
, Rifat Ozbek
Rifat Ozbek
Rifat Ozbek is a Turkish-born fashion designer, known for his exotic, ethnically-inspired outfits. He has been named British Designer of the Year in 1988 and 1992.-Biography:Ozbek was born in Istanbul, Turkey and grew up in in a yali on the Bosphorus...
, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Narcisco Rodriguez. Aeffe is owned by Ferretti and her brother, Massimo. The locale also became the hub for marketing her own collections.
By 1998 she opened in-store boutiques for selling her signature and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti lines at Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman is a luxury goods department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son Andrew Goodman....
. Next she obtained her initial American freestanding store in SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
. This business, near Prince Street, is exclusively for her Philosophy collection. It is a lower priced edition of Ferretti's signature line, intended for younger women. In contrast to most designers, she started boutiques for her secondary lines prior to opening a flagship store for her
signature collection. Ferretti's West Broadway (Manhattan) building is located next door to a Rizzoli bookstore. It is a Federal style architecture townhouse built in the late 19th century. It was renovated with a three-story glass front and skylights, so that the interior was filled with natural light. The store was designed by Manhattan architect David Ling
David Ling
David Ling is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently under contract with the Providence Bruins of the AHL...
. It is a pristinely white 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) shop. Ferretti signed a licensing deal with Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
for a fragrance line in 2000.
Ferretti is known for her designs featuring twisting, tucking, and draping techniques. Her style employs a subtle layered look, sometimes showing a hint of hand-beaded gauze which extends slightly beneath the hem of a wool dress. The erotic qualities of the chiffon and jersey
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
fashions she introduced for her spring 2008 fashion collection is evident in the look of her dresses. Many of them are cut high in the front and draped low in the back. Her target customer is the cocktail crowd. Specifically the dresses
are party frocks, above the knee, and enhanced by rhinestone
Rhinestone
A rhinestone or paste or diamante is a diamond simulant made from rock crystal, glass or acrylic.Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine. The availability was greatly increased around 1775 when the Alsatian jeweller Georg Friedrich Strass had the idea to imitate...
rosettes and armour-like chain mail. Feretti's collection includes pleated bubbled coats, toga-like minidresses and skirts, and a sparse number of gowns of soft mint green and white hues.
The minidresses and skirts were shown with ethereal models wearing metallic gladiator flats.
In July 2011 her collection was presented at the catwalk of The Brandery
The Brandery
The Brandery is an urban fashion show, organized by Fira de Barcelona and held twice a year, in summer and winter. The first edition was held in July 2009 at the Montjuïc exhibition site in Barcelona and was initially addressed exclusively to professional visitors.- History :The first edition had...
fashion show in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.