Norisol Ferrari is seizing her Melania moment, yet not without some inner conflict. She wants to focus on the clothes and the ideas behind them rather than on the Trump connection. Ferrari, who has designed a collection under her namesake label since 2008, has seen her name recognition grow exponentially since Melania Trump wore her military-inspired coat to the pre-Inauguration ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Ferrari has been fielding media requests ever since. Last week, she called to invite WWD to review her fall collection in the showroom. It impressed. My colleague Mayte Allende, who reviewed the line, noted the appeal of its strong silhouettes, often in deceptively comfortable fabrics — for example, a seemingly structured suit and coat, cut for ease in camel double-faced crepe.
The idea of a studio review appealed to Ferrari, who has twice shown within the New York Fashion Week calendar, for fall 2012 and spring 2013, and is disinclined to return. “I’ve never really believed in the runway show for a small brand, especially when it comes to luxury and commercialism,” said Ferrari, in a phone conversation as she readied her 50-piece fall collection for this week’s market. “I believe that the luxury client wants more exclusivity, and [that can be telegraphed]
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