“East and West, silk and lace… The grace of a geisha and the Italian sense of elegance.” Thus begins the description for La Perla’s fall 2012 lingerie collection, titled the Oriental Suite. It’s a collection that takes the iconic imagery of the East – “obi belts, kimonos, lacquered screen patterns, fans” – and reconstructs them as the basis for garments that adorn the body with a stylish eroticism. The marriage of East and West is a clear but not a cliche one: bamboo canes are embroidered on tulle, nude fabric inserts create trompe-l’oeil illusions, and embroidered tulle “wrapped” in a sheer layer of smooth tulle nods to the Japanese “furoshiki”, or wrapping cloth.
Samantha Gradoville stars in the collection’s Oriental-themed campaign, with a video – directed by Mary Rozzi – providing a close-up look at some of the delicate details.
You can view imagery from the campaign at the gallery above.
