The 20th edition of haute couture week Alta Moda Roma honored women with eclectic elegance of best-quality fashion creations showcased in Italy's capital Rome.

Traditional made-in-Italy ateliers such as Fausto Sarli, Gattinoni and Raffaella Curiel, as well as new talents and debuting designers presented their spring/summer 2012 collections from Saturday to Tuesday in a Roman scenario visceral with history and style.

Women dressed like sunflowers and exotic lotus, sculpted by architectural tunics and wrapped in orange-red saris inspired from the Indian and ancient Persian traditions were the protagonists of Fausto Sarli's show.

The new collection was designed by Rocco Palermo and Carlo Alberto Terranova, the stylists who have supported for many years the master and founder of the fashion house, Fausto Sarli, who died in 2010 after an over 50-year-long career.

The iconic Italian atelier, whose clothes were worn by celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Bellucci and Carla Bruni, is renowned for using traditional artisan techniques.

In a sort of new Renaissance, Gattinoni's elegant style fitted a romantically feminine although modern woman.