Similarly to Rei Kawakubo, Valentino‘s Pierpaolo Piccioli sent down the runway an all-black collection as a response to our troubled world. While the Comme Des Garçons designer offered some light at the end of the tunnel – a white bridal cocoon dress – Piccioli presented a fully veiled, transparent gown. This super elegant line-up, filled with very fine day-to-day wardrobe staples and simply beautiful, at points austere in silhouette eveningwear, offered no happy end. And just a moment ago the designer would go PPPink.
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For spring-summer 2024 haute couture, Valentino‘s Pierpaolo Piccioli opted for the hushed intimacy of its salons on Place Vendôme. The designer’s aim was to emphasize the “sacred process” of couture. But there was nothing quiet about the presented haute garments; this was a full-tempoed crescendo from the first look till the finale. Piccioli’s lineup included the requisite red carpet stunners, but also indulged in a quirky day wardrobe in unusual volumes and colors. Oversize jackets, palazzo pants, scooped vests, fishtail skirts and duster coats came in shades like chartreuse, oxblood, lime, putty, mustard and sage. The designer skipped elaborate embroideries, focusing on silhouettes that require the highest skills of tailoring (and artisan) precision. Small oblong discs were bonded with patent leather to resemble crocodile skin on a glossy green men’s coat, while a barely there chiffon top sprouted tiny white feathers that were actually made from cut organza. “The magic comes from the illusion,” Piccioli said. With 64 sublime looks, the collection offered a dizzying array of options for awards season, including a stunning black velvet cutout dress trailing a long silk chiffon stole.
Piccioli noted that each piece that comes out of his workshop is unique, since no two people execute his sketches the same way – and that’s just how he likes it. “If you don’t project your own experience, your own life, your humanity into what you’re doing, you will never feel the soul,” he said.
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Valentino guests sat on bright blue benches that stood out against the gilded decor. But those expecting a runway awash in cerulean were in for a surprise. Rather than leaning into gender stereotypes, Pierpaolo Piccioli used the color as a starting point for a conversation about masculinity. “This collection is a reflection about men’s identity today without talking about gender, but talking about the way men today can be more gentle, more graceful,” he explained in a preview. “When you break the rules from inside, you can be more subtle and more subversive.” Oversize suits, relaxed outerwear and sweeping coats came in sober shades of black, navy and gray. Piccioli said he wanted his suit jackets, which had no buttons, to feel as comfy as cardigans. Pants were inspired by the suit proportions of the ’40s – cropped and slouchy, yet elegant. Piccioli’s statement was so quiet as to be almost inaudible. This served the collection, as it was a much-needed moment of tranquility after a long menswear fashion month and the haute couture week starting… today. Who makes these crazy schedules?
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