Retro without nostalgia, the Borbonese collection for Autumn-Winter 2008-2009 combines sophisticated 1940s influences, a tradition of craftsmanship with decidedly modern fashion touches, blending the preciousness of the fabrics, cuts and refined features with the style and history of sartorial excellence to develop a new expression of femininity.

In the name of an elegance with a "Roaring Forties" spirit, dissolved into new forms and extremely modern sizes, linear sheath open-back dresses in woven wool, wool crepe godet dresses with basques or printed women's suits in iridescent velvet or micro patterns worn with light transparent skirts or wide trousers.

A range of precious materials such as ottoman, baby alpaca velour mélange, iridescent velvet and hand-woven satin matting empasize the egg-shaped coats, short jackets and women's suits that have hidden fastenings enriched by embroidered hemmings or small fur collars.  The garments and accessories all combine a 1940s allure with the characteristic Borbonese refinement and craftsmanship. The jewel buttons of the tuxedoes, the precious trimmings, stone embroideries and crystal haberdashery light-up the cinematic evening dresses and new refined coats, in which fur (shaved lapin, weasel and mink) is worked like fabric.

Jersey, printed or single coloured satin, ottoman and double organza for dresses and shirts emphasize the cleavage through deco necklines, ribbons and embroidered features or draw attention to the shoulders and back with flounces and folds.  The true protagonists of the collection are the Borbonese symbols that for AW 08-09 characterise dresses and accessories even more than in the past seasons. Characteristic emblems of the fashion house, such as the Identification Tag and the golden Screw return, for example, as features on the zips and coulisses of the luxurious fur parkas. The maxi stirrup, which in past seasons was combined with the Tango and Mambo cult bags, is today an embellishment for sheath dresses and little flounced dresses.

O.P. (Occhio di Pernice): the Eye of Partridge comes in the classic or reworked version in the new prints, and combines with a spotted or novel embroidery-effect to become the real protagonist of the collection.

This season Borbonese is dominated by a genuine Eye of Partidge mania: the unmistakable Eye of Partridge comes in printed patterns on velvet for blouses, shirts, pencil-shaped skirts and sophisticated dresses.

It shows up as ultra-soft and unexpected feature of knitwear and appears in the fur capes and glazed deer trench coats, as well as in the lining of foulards, bags with handles, shoulder straps and finishings for the total Eye of Partidge look. It is also present in the shoes: from the flats, to the mary janes, booties and calf leather and suede court shoes and even in features of the rain galoches and fun rubber Wellingtons. Finally, it combines with precious materials such as crocodile to characterise the cult bag of the season: the Luxury Bag. Ever more refined and precious the Borbonese bags update the traditional slightly retro lines thanks to new features, workmanship and refined materials like python, bronze-effect napa leather, matt coconut, mink and printed horse fur, which are often mixed together.

A wide range of small leather accessories, belts and jewellery made using the same leather and workmanship of the bags completes the offer of the collection. All of this comes on a palette of typical homely colours, which plays on various tones of brown and is warmed by notes of orange and touches of acid green, as in the blouses with ruches and frills and in the silk princesse dresses with optical prints, or in intricate mélanges of brown, nut, camel and caramel, that are often faded together in the same garment, as in the alpaca coats and precious jacquard mink trench coats.

For a very Borbonese winter...