Paris Fashion Week: A new designer at Rochas

PARIS -- The dowdy-chic beat goes on at Rochas, where newly-anointed creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua showed his first collection for the house on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week.

The look: Quirky lady in the spirit of Prada and Marni.

Key pieces: Pleated brocade skirts worn with glossy patent leather button-down shirts tucked in. Oversized fuzzy wuzzy coats so textured, they practically looked as if they were pilling. Glossy leather pencil skirts worn with peplum tops that added several inches to the waist and hips. (These were definitely not clothes for the figure-obsessed.) Tent dresses layered over ball skirts for maximum volume. Crystal embroidered gloves and shoes dangling beaded fringe from the heels.

The verdict: A start, though it’s not clear what Dell’Acqua is bringing to the fashion discussion that isn’t already out there. I wish it had been a tad more subversive.

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