With her Spring/Summer line, Vivetta Ponti continues to write her dreamy childlike fairytale, filled with "a few of her favorite things."
Like "The Sound of Music" song, there are definitely "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...girls in white dresses and blue satin sashes." There are also patterns of flowery gardens and fanciful swans, typical of the magical lakes of the southern Italian Alps and the breathtaking countryside of her hometown of Assisi, also the historic home of the nature-loving St. Francis of Assisi.
Like London-based shoe designer Charlotte Olympia (who is reportedly also a fan of Vivetta), Ponti's kitties have become a defining symbol of her collections.
On the runway, there was a lot of gingham, Aunt Jemima-like head scarves and long hippie dresses — but there was no "earthy crunchy" here — all made of the best Italian tulle and satin, of course.
The reference to the hip Dolce Vita ‘60s was also palpable — especially within the soundtrack in the array of cat eye glasses that made a welcome comeback.
This sort of cartoonish-image-driven pop fashion from designers like Au Jour Le Jour and Giambattista Valli's Giamba brand may have been a hard pill to swallow for critics at first, but this genre has become all the rage on the street-style catwalk indicative of millennials' appetite for such fashions. And Vivetta has been celebrated in this circuit since showing on the Armani Theater stage last season.
"Some people have a theme every season and I just keep telling my story," Ponti said backstage.
