Nostalgia, contradiction, edge, easy branding is what can easily be described as the essence of the Rochas Spring 2015 collection. The idea was largely unjustified at Rochas, where Alessandro Dell’Acqua brashly emblazoned the letter R on the upper-left breast of blouses and jackets that were of otherwise feminine resolve. Equally puzzling were utility belts, also stamped with an R, strapped tightly across the busts of romantic gowns; ditto the heel-less jock socks worn with fanciful slingbacks that featured a flutter of fringe on the toes.

The clothes were a beautifully crafted expression of the tension between naïf and womanly sensuality, which was Dell’Acqua’s original intention, according to his show notes. Drop-waist silk georgette slipdresses worn over buttoned-up blouses channeled graceful innocence, while gowns made of patchworks of black guipure lace and macramé didn’t need to be buckled in or stamped to capture a delicate, Gothic edge.