C3 - Wednesday, September 21, 1983 - North Shore News

|| fashion f

By MARIANNE McKAVE

WE SPENT the better
part:of a day in Rome
looking for Laura
Biagiotti’s clothing
shop.

We couldn’t find the
popular fashion designer’s
store along any of Rome’s
major shopping streets, in-
cluding the more exclusive
Via Condotti, where many of
Italy’s other top designers
are. She wasn’t even listed in
the yellow pages.

But she was listed in
various Italian magazines,
where samples of her designs
demonstrate her ability to
meet the growing needs of
Italy’s working women.

And with her fashions ex-
tending into the North
American market, Biagiotti is
becoming a growing favorite
of those who consider dress-
ing well an investment.

Having heard much about
her, we wanted to see more.

We had given up and turn-
ed our search to gelato

(italian ice cream) when: we

suddenly caught her name
written in bold letters across
a narrow storefront on a
deserted side street.

the store window | was aset of
stairs, and:‘when:’we. pried
open the door,,a short, smil-

ing woman. stood ‘at. the: top ©

of them, urging us inside. :

Her name was Rosanna. »*
We explained about:the pro-*..:

blem we had finding the store
and she apologized, éexplain-

ing the Rome store had been

open less than a year...
We got our first look at
Biagiotti’s fashions when we

hit the top of the stairs. Her.

creations hung from short
racks along the walls. A
display of shoes available for
trying with them was taste-
fully set up in one corner.

We thumbed carefully
through the display racks,
finding both the casual and
formal designs attractively
practical.

Speaking Italian slowly,
Rosanna explained.
Biagiotti designed her clothes
largely for working women
who. are looking for a ‘‘basic
but beautiful” wardrobe. As

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There-were-no: gril ‘win: —_

that.

nion a =
DESIGNER FASHIONS IN ITALY

In search of the elusive Bia

wn

favorite, a grey wool dress.

The garment had tucks
flowing down the entire

length of it, which made the

skirt straight, narrowing at
the knee-length hem. It was
also tucked at the shoulder,
creating soft, full length
sleeves.

The price was a modest
540,000 lire (about $400
Canadian). Rosanna _ con-

siders the dress a fashion in-'

vestment, predicting it to be a
lasting fall style.

i
:

“See. hs pty & Seort.-
micro cooking tonight!”

Many of Biagiotti’s styles
fit that bill. Along with a
number of other Italian
designers this season, her em-
phasis is on putting a comfor-
table casualness into every-,
thing, including formal wear.
She makes gentle use of frills,
adding an occasional unusual
touch, such as a sharp leaf
border along the edges of a
soft evening dress.. Still, she
Maintains the style’s
simplicity.

In particular, we found

oa

some of her fashions perfect
for our Own west coast scene
here in Vancouver, including
her mix of earth tone wool
and cotton coats (earlier this
year she won recognition for
her ‘big’ style camel coat, a
soft, casual creation) and her
basic sweater collection ~in
some of fall’s deepest sunset
colors.

Our visit took us past the
evening’s closing time, and
we eventually had to leave,
but not without an invitation

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ESTORES ACROSS CANADA

from Rosanna to return next
year for a look at fall °84,
Biagiotti style.

While I didn’t come home
with a Biagiotti creation, I
did bring back a little some-
thing to remind me of the
famous designer.

Biagiotti recently expanded

‘imto the perfume business

and during our visit in Italy
we. discovered a special intro-
ductory offer on her eau de
toilette (one fluid ounce)
spray. We purchased a bottle

reemwanersss

giotti store

on the island of Capri for
14,000 lire (about $11 Cana-
dian).

We found the fragrance to
be light and pleasant,
agreeable for wearing with
just about anything --
preferably, a Biagiotti
creation.

Next week: Topping it off
— the accessories. .

Marianne McKave is a
freelance writer just returned.
from a trip in Italy.

sa
»

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