Yet what we saw on the runway Wednesday in a custom made tent in Milan was a reined in Cavalli, whose opening looks were simple white lace sheath dresses, albeit embellished with spring flowers, and a fall 2008 collection marked by a huge trend here in Italy – color coordination, since the same flowers appeared in three dimensions edged the shoes model Isabelli Fontana.

Staged in a custom-built tent large enough to house Barnum & Bailey, Cavalli projected the interiors of Paris opera house Palais Garnier, creating a neo Classical setting for his clothes.

But just as there’s a certain symmetry to the way-over-the-top Garnier, despite its explosion of color, Cavalli kept a little balance in his fashion. So, psychadelic leaves appeared on both hippie chic sheepskin boleros and the chiffon picnic dresses that accompanied them.

Yet, it would not be a Cavalli show without a major cultural cross over, in this case the improbable, but successful inter-mingling of Art Deco and Inca.

Mohair sweaters, animal profiles and coffee and white coloring all echoed the Andean culture, as haute gamme graphics and idealist imagery recalled Deco doodlings.

This label, so long synonymous with rockers and their molls, also entered a new era with a ladylike finale, an almost debutante moment where gals demurred in tiered lace dresses and tiaras, as a cultural oboe led on a grandiose soundtrack, befitting the high cultural Cavalli we got this season.

** Photos to come.

Article Courtesy of Fashion Wire Daily

related articles:

Feb 21, 2008:	prada: welcome to the new ruling class. read full entry
Feb 20, 2008:	jil sander: crumpled chic. read full entry
Feb 19, 2008:	burberry: feathers and spikes . read full entry
Feb 19, 2008:	missoni: cukor classics in milan. read full entry
Feb 19, 2008:	giorgio armani: eastern wanderlust. read full entry
Feb 18, 2008:	emporio armani: a tale of tailoring. read full entry