On some nights, the moon is red, and I find it the most alluring of all.

Elegance, has always been the prime ingredient into which Zang Toi dips his designs every season at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), where his homage to his signature simple shapes and refined styles remained consistent with former seasons. And as one of my favorite countries in the world is Italy, I was enthused by the notion that his recent Roman holiday was a theme for his show.

This impacted the transition from gray, charcoal and black hues that were prominent to his outfit, with of course bright inclusions of my favorite color red, as well as pink and orange. I learned later that the red was an homage to Valentino’s red gown. There were gray fur accents on many of the designs, either on cuffs on coats, lapels on jackets, or even a floor length mink coat, adding an air of elegance to a haute winter collection. The cuts highlighted Italian style palazzo pants and slim cut blazers and coats, with wool dresses giving way to pink or red lining. Which in turn exploded into silk gowns and kaftan style tops in florals prints and embroideries, extending into immaculate evening wear. The full length orange, pink and red dresses with off shoulder fits and trails were the perfect nod to sunset hues, with the bejeweled stockings under short dresses being a sensual way to bring in red into the stature that black held with nightlife. As per norm, the one gentleman wore tailored suit, albeit slightly looser than most standards, in classic hues speaking of Italian minimalism. Large flower crowns and a mini dress of handmade silk flowers closed the show, highlighting the Roman inspiration for the runway of princesses.

When is my next trip to watch a sunset in Italy?

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Supplementary images by WWD.