FASHION WEEK: Norisol Ferrari Adds A Touch Of Class To Fashion Week

Norisol Ferrari is a master of subtle innovation. The native New Yorker of Venezuelan descent and globe-trotting affinities has coalesced a long career of research and eclectic inspirations into a refined, exquisitely-crafted Spring 2013 collection that takes a decidedly empowering stance on women, while channeling Old Hollywood glamor. Inspired by timeless icons Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth, Ferrari presented body-skimming dresses and tailored suits in elegant satins and silken textures adorned with dramatic details like bold collars, columns of buttons, and ribbon belts that electrified the neutral palette. Although many of her ensembles were noticeably less revealing than the current standard, they were just as — if not more — sexy than the average at Fashion Week. To drive home the point, Ferrari’s designs were showcased by models of all ages, including the legendary Carol Alt (51), Karen Bjornson (58) and Carmen Dell’Orefice, the runway’s oldest model at 81.

Ferrari, who launched her first ready-to-wear collection in 2010, is known for paying close attention to function as well as form. Ferrari’s designs, which are visibly wary of gratuitous frills, are made by hand in New York and bear a long leather tag inside each garment listing the craftspeople involved in their construction.