At La Perla, an Absence of Elegance (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - La Perla, the legendary Italian lingerie house, is a brand synonymous with luxury and a type of sensuality that is chic not cheap.

And yet, those qualities did not really emerge in their Spring 2009 collection presentation held Thursday in a rooftop bar atop the Empire Hotel in Manhattan.

Though the epic surroundings could have lent a haute air to the proceedings - the bar overlooks Lincoln Center, the epicenter of high culture in New York - the pieces selected for the show worn by models staged in tableaux seemed to have been picked more for their ostentatious quality rather than the expected La Perla representation of a more refined offering.

Whether fringed bra and panty sets or the addition of feathers on a bustier can even be considered "flashy" anymore is debatable, but nonetheless, there they were staged in a cabana scene with a design aesthetic straight out of "Dynasty" complete with zebra print rug, black jacquard drapes and oversized ceramic vase with brushed metallic finish and glossy fronds.

Aside from lingerie, there were also a handful of cocktail looks - a tight rose sheath dress, a dowdy black kimono jacket and dress combo - and a dollop of swimwear featured in the upstairs pool deck next to the floating La Perla logo in the water.

One look that stood out, was a gold and black lace bustier top worn over a black lace bra, which was more consistent with the La Perla image. It was also helped by the fact that Misa, the model, distanced herself from the cabana at one point and instead positioned herself in the soft blue glow of the twilight with a gaze reminiscent of a Botticelli's Venus. It had the makings of a brilliant ad campaign written all over it.