Albino D'Amato seemed to struggle over what story to tell for Spring. Was it about sports, as his first look—a jacket cropped below the bust and turned backward so it zipped up the back (worn over fitted shorts and a flaring techno-mesh skirt)—seemed to suggest? The mesh made multiple reappearances, mostly as a futuristic sort of crinoline under flaring, retro-fifties ballroom skirts.
Or was D'Amato saying something about flowers? There were plenty of those, too, as an oversize sepia-tone print on a dress with an asymmetrical neckline and hem or embroidered in ombré 3-D rosettes on tops and skirts. The designer threw in a Lanvin moment as well, in the form of a pair of thigh-skimming dresses with exaggerated volume at the shoulder, one of which was suspended from a heavy-duty chain necklace. One thing that united the whole, sort of, was the vibrant jewel-tone palette. Sapphire blues and bronzes looked bold.
D'Amato has made inroads with American retailers in the recent past. Last season, he made a play for the working woman with tweedy dresses and separates. But aside from that brief ode to Alber Elbaz, this collection felt untethered from the desires of the modern shopper.