N SATURDAY, La Perla joined Betsey Johnson in being the latest label inspired by the world of Hugh Hefner and Playboy. Readers may remember that for spring, Johnson built her collection around the Playboy Mansion; La Perla has built its campaign around the best-known brand for erotica.
   In some ways it is better suited to La Perla than to Betsey Johnson: the leading lingerie label in the world is a likely complement to Playboy. And the rationale is similar: like Johnson, La Perla seeks to empower its wearer, recognizing that the Playboy concept of old is no longer relevant in the 2000s.
   The idea behind the collection is, according to La Perla, ‘the cruel and languid eroticism of a woman who sways on her stiletto heels and dares to play forbidden games with stripes and strings’. Themes of bondage, wetness and sexiness are part of La Perla's style for autumn–winter 2001, hence the unpredictable transparencies and the use of colour to create the impression of water. The collection plays on fantasies; the slightly more practical bent and innovation of last spring’s collection are less apparent.
   Also a departure from conventional lingerie design is the absence of black. Once the colour of “sin”, the obscure object of desire that La Perla has based its collection around chooses smoke light blue, cobra green, amethyst violet and purple violet. Although Lucire felt that last season, contrasting lingerie items would not suit wearers, La Perla's colour palette encourages contrast for autumn 2001.

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