Giambattista Valli's penchant for ball skirts and the party-girl types who love them is well documented, but for pre-fall, the designer is courting a different demographic: the working woman. Tweed in rich hues of forest green and crimson dominated the offerings, which included wearable wool pencil skirts, jackets, and shift dresses, along with printed silk blouses in digitalized versions of the fabric. In keeping with the collection's hourglass shapes, he slimmed down his signature cocoon coat with origami-like pleating at the waist.
That's not to say the PYTs who sit front-row when Valli shows in Paris were left without options. His draped jersey-crepe cocktail frocks will stand out late-night at the clubs, especially when paired with the designer's ultra-luxe sheared mink toppers. As for the animal prints favored by the label's jet-set clientele, pre-fall's updates include a leopard velvet-burnout skirt and a printed silk frock with a grosgrain drawstring waist. It's not easy pleasing everyone, but Valli's latest effort comes very close.
