Celestial. Valentino AW17 Couture

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Whenever a priest wearing a soutane crosses the street, you can’t help but look at the way his garment flows and shapes in motion. Pierpaolo Piccioli, the creative director of Valentino, had a vision for his couture collection: to grasp the sense of holiness and striking simplicity behind canonical robes he observes everyday on the streets of Rome, and convey it in the most haute way. Floor-sweeping capes had a ceremonial aura about them, just like sharply cut coats. If you think ‘Vatican’, you think ‘ornamental’ – Piccioli’s take on sacred is a lot more modern, but equally celestial.

Valentino’s collection might be the couture season’s most intriguing line-up, and if you’re still not convinced, note the one-of-a-kind metal bags with enamel mosaic details made by Harumi Klossowska De Rola especially for this occasion. Each of the bags’ shape reassembles an animal’s head – put together, they symbolize the seven deadly sins. How ironic, thinking about the sources of fortunes of some of Valentino’s richest clients…

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Pierpaolo’s Delights. Valentino SS17

October 11, 2016October 11, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

After Maria Grazia Chiuri’s departure to Dior, Pierpaolo Piccioli is solo at Valentino. One thing’s sure – it’s not the same Valentino we used to know during the couple’s creative co-operation. With Chiuri, Valentino was darker, and heavier in embroidery; seeing Piccioli’s first “all by myself” collection embeds a lighter vision of the brand. Although spring-summer 2017’s mood-board is covered with Hieronymus Bosch artworks and Reneissance-era obsessions, Pierpaolo’s woman is thinking about grunge and 70s West-London love affair. To prove the latter, the creative director collaborated on prints with one-and-only Zandra Rhodes (whose influence was coined by Luella Bartley of Hillier Bartley this season, too). The effect? I can’t remind myself a Valentino show, which was filled with so much joy. Just look at those jackets! Of course, old clients will find a range of beautifully embellished dresses and skirts. But Pierpaolo also introduced a kind of à la Céline softness to the brand, which will surely appeal to the young. I nearly forgot about the colour palette – from killer fuchsia-pink to refreshing lime-green, there are many reasons to fall in love with the (not so) new Valentino.

Couture – Giles, Maison Margiela, Valentino AW16

July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Giles – If you think of Giles Deacon and his fashion, first thing on your mind is his “fire burnt” gown or Kristen McMenamy in a white dress with extremely big shoulders – in other words, his most fantastic and surreal creations, which are on haute couture level. This season, forget about Giles’ ready-to-wear, as the designer decided not to show during the last London Fashion Week. Instead, he went to Paris for couture week to prove that he’s incredibly good in his love for “big, special pieces for the show“. Because, why not? Life’s too short to do something that bores us.

For his first couture collection, Deacon went eclectic, allowing his imagination take over the control. Voluminous ball dress in hand-painted, palm leaves print; purple mini-dress covered with three-dimensional petals; yellow, jacquard cape-like gown with embellishments. Should I list more? Oh, yes – the stand-out piece, so a regal velvet neckpiece in an Elizabethan style, which is of course detachable. As the queen wearing Giles wishes. There’s also the imperial ‘Faberge’ print gown, all covered in a variety of egg illustrations. Yum. That’s a wardrobe for a modern-day monarch – it’s not over-the-top kitsch, but adequately fancy. It’s visible that Deacon loves seeing his biggest love – couture – become a reality!

Maison Margiela – I’m again on fence with John Galliano. To me, everything he does at Maison Margiela is haphazard, without any order. It’s not ecleticism. It’s a play with random textiles and textures. But this doesn’t mean that John’s chaos doesn’t have its own appeal – it does, intimately. Wherever you look, autumn-winter 2016 collection focuses on the tiniest detail. The bright yellow, ‘artisanal’ cocoon coat was worn with an embroidered drape at the back, while the dramatic veil on models’ head reminded me of a perfect day-with-the-bees option. There was an adventurous, bared-shoulder dress; a plastic construction layered on a red mini-dress; a show-stopping muslin gown with a red lace boy embroidered on. The attitude of the collection was quite revolutionary, and as the show-notes suggested, French revolution period is the main reference. Anna Cleveland, who wore a Napoleon-esque hat, looked like she was ready for the fight. Still, I doubt wellies and a tweed skirt with feather applications are best choice for a “military” gear.

Valentino – You surely know that this Valentino show is the last one designed by the duo of Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri. At least, only one half of this pair stays; the latter, Maria Grazia, leaves for Dior. Which is quite unexpected, noting all these great collections (even if there were some ups and downs) and even greater couture presentations they did together. But on the contrary, Dior is really in a need for a designer with a strong vision after Raf Simons’ depature. Chiuri’s feminine point of view will surely match the ‘new look’, while her dresses are going to boost the sales (a new designer is always a gust of fresh air for a brand with heritage). Moreover, with her big step forward, she’s making history – she will become the first female creative director of Christian Dior’s maison.

Time will show what’s coming for Maria – for now, never mind, let’s take a look at Valentino’s latest outing. An old chapter should be ended with a bit of drama, and this Elizabethan wardrobe of puffed sleeves and clerical robes matches the slightly melancholic mood. The collection was presented on the occasion the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, so no wonder why there was a lot of Renaissance Italy feel in these theatrical clothes, origining from Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice. Richly embroidered and oozing with romance (as hot red as the closing, aristocratic gowns), the designer duo proved once again that they are (or rather were) the masters of elegance. However, ignoring the fact it’s the last collection designed with help of Maria Grazia, I guess it would be simply considered as another beautiful, enchanting, and so on… Valentino couture. I confess – I hoped for something more.

HC – Eclectic Candy. Valentino SS16

February 1, 2016January 31, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

I must admit – this time the haute couture week in Paris dissapointed me. It distinctly feels that the designers are frustrated with the speed of fashion industry, and such time-consuming, uncommercial collection like couture seems to be missed with the point. However, the only brand that made me sigh was Valentino – and that’s strange, because I have always ignored Maria Grazia Chiuri‘s and Pierpaolo Piccioli‘s pastel-pink-princess-dress vision. BUT, few of their last collections are great and absolutely different – and it’s visible that this designer duo push their boundaries, putting their Insta-famous rockstud stilettos and camo bags aside. The couture spring-summer 2016 collection is indeed a candy for the eye. There was an exotic, “Venetian-pagan” romanticism about this collection, from the sculptural, golden harnesses to ornamental gowns with meticulous floral embroideries and monarchy-like coats with fur-linings. I loved the sensual, sheer gowns with delicate Victoriana collars as much as the body-dresses which were more built-up and excessive. This bi-polar and eclectic outing, covered with white rose petals, was also all about the barefoot models, which looked like Grecian goddesses in their snake-themed crowns and neck-lines. Totally into this one, Valentino.

Nature Force and Fiorucci. Valentino Pre-Fall’16

January 16, 2016January 22, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Valentino‘s pre-fall 2016 collection delivered by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli feels too good to be just a pre-collection. It has about 85 looks, and each of them tells a different story. The first series of looks were all about a pictorial, vivid scenario of a volcanic eruption – meticulously embroidered mini-dresses were styled with refreshing floral maxi-skirts and electric, blue high-knee boots. The force of nature, which was embraced by the designers this season was continued in the most romantic way – using the traditional, Italian way of fur-painting, the mink coats were blooming with delicate, white flowers. The Astrakhan skirt with fluffy cotton-flowers was genius, too, when styled with a classy, soft knit. However, the collection had its other side – the aim was, to make it span the worlds. The inspiration, as Maria Grazia and Pierpaolo explained in the showroom set up in Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York, was Elio Fiorucci. The Italian designer, who died last year, was focusing his fashion on influences which came from everywhere. “He was local and global,” said Chiuri, “and we think that fits with the way we work.” Moreover, the designers were drawn to Fiorucci for the 70’s lifestyle he represented in fashion, and his joy of discovery. I must admit, it was really hard to choose only a few, representative looks from this beautiful collection – so here are my definite favourites.