There was something very calming and classical about Pierpaolo Piccioli‘s spring-summer 2020 offering for Valentino. The designer dedicated the whole opening section of the show to white, sending out 12 looks that rotated around the idea of a shirt. “I wanted to work on something universal, to get back to the essence of shape and volume,” he said. “So I worked on the idea of the white shirt, but treating it with a couture sensibility.” The dresses didn’t only look airy and feminine, but very comfortable. And one can’t help but notice the nod to  aesthetics of Renaissance. The collection as well had splashes of noen (the green, chiffon number is exquisite) for balance. Any prints? Jungle prints via the naive vision of 19th-century artist Henri Rousseau – perfect for summer. The line-up ended with couture-ish, tulle gowns. This wasn’t a ground-breaking collection from Piccioli, but a pleasing one. His consistence keeps on attracting customers, who know they will look flattering in a Valentino dress. While everyone’s re-inventing themselves to be relevant, it seems that Pierpaolo doesn’t have that problem.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.