A dozen singers, each behind a lectern surrounding the runway, broke into rousing a cappella singing, led by a conductor. The church was a clever theme because the congregation-style pews, sprawling by nature, allowed for social distancing without it seeming awkward in the context of a fashion show.

There was little religious in the fluid spring-summer styles. Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri took as her starting point a reinterpretation of the house’s iconic Bar Jacket — the staple of the New Look — as designed for Japan in 1957. But Chiuri’s version was loose and patterned and featured ethnic motifs, re-creating the boho mood of the ’70s.

That decade pervaded the entire collection. Patchwork on scarves, paisley patterns, long flowing fluttery skirts, and sheer silk chiffon shirts captured the exuberance of that era. So did the accessories and makeup: Silk scarves were worn like turbans, and complemented Cleopatra-style eyeliner, long gold flower pendants and plaited leather Roman sandals.

At moments, the exuberance went too far, such as a multicolored striped poncho that clashed with the delicate floral print on the bronze silk skirt. But some long embroidered cape coats that hung down regally, with silken patterned insides, more than made up for it.

French wunderkind Marine Serre found new fame last season for a series of masked looks in her Paris ready-to-wear show in February that were branded prophetic. This season, Serre, one of the best of a new generation of French designers, kept up her creativity and used the new, limited digital platform to its fullest by showcasing her spring-summer 2021 designs via an atmospheric video called “Amor Fati,” or “Love of Fate.”