Designers come and go from brands all the time, but the situation is trickier when the namesake founder leaves, especially one such as Vivetta Ponti, whose aesthetic was instantly recognizable from the trompe-l’oeil patterns and fairy tale inspirations to the baby-doll silhouettes.

Vivetta’s new owners, the Anselmi family, and chief executive officer Nicoletta Raponi are managing the transition with flair, working with an in-house design team to write a new chapter. They’re downplaying the visual tricks, putting the focus on more sophisticated silhouettes, and stripping back some of the embellishment.

“She’s grown up, and no longer a young girl,” said Raponi. “This season marks the beginning of the transition and shows what the future will look like.”

The collection was full of gentle sorbet colors — pale yellow for a diaphanous trench done in silk organza; peach for a satin top with an elegant shawl collar; and a pale blue for a dress with a pleated skirt and draping around the open back.

Tailoring was casual and youthful, and included 1960s-style knee-length belted coats with patch pockets and Nehru collars. A black tuxedo jacket worn over chocolate satin shorts was a standout.

The design team jazzed up these simple silhouettes with sparkling details and accessories. They added small silver snaps to jackets and long shirtwaist dresses, and delicate embellishment to swingy tank-top bras and cummerbunds.

The jewelry was unexpected — and fun. A burgundy slipdress with black edging was adorned with a harness made from colorful vintage beads and metallic bits, while chain mail skirts and tunic dresses came dotted with faux gemstones, bright as jellybeans. It was a wink to the brand’s heritage and proof that even sophisticates can act like kids now and again.