Giambattista Valli has experience dressing an impressive roster of high-profile women, frequently providing Amal Clooney—arguably the world’s most stylish human rights lawyer—with an elegant working wardrobe, and giving superstars such as Rihanna and J.Lo their fairy-tale moments on the red carpet, too. The Roman-born designer’s inner circle of sophisticated fans were all in attendance today at his Fall show, including Lee Radziwill, Bianca Brandolini D’Adda, and Lauren Santo Domingo.
The collection was anchored by what is often the most pivotal item in a high-society wardrobe: the cocktail dress. The Swinging ’60s hemline of seasons past was lowered to hit demurely above the knee, and the silhouette had a classic, Parisian chic about it. Fluttering plissé chiffon frocks were nipped at the waist with neatly tied black bows or bands of floral guipure lace. Aside from one boxy slate gray jacket, even the masculine-inspired pieces came with those feminine finishings, the most convincing of which was a shaggy mohair duffle coat that had dainty bowlike fastenings instead of chunky toggles.
Valli is known to finish his ready-to-wear with couturier-like flourishes, and one lace coatdress was expertly spliced with mink stripes. This sense of airiness marked the standout items in the collection, including a diaphanous floral dress with a Neo-Edwardian collar and long sleeves. That romantic, covered-up look made its way into the more dramatic eveningwear as well, and Gigi Hadid closed the show in a sheer high-collared gown with cherry blossom–like embroidery. New and aspiring stars looking to turn heads on the red carpet wouldn’t go wrong with the subtle reveal of these pieces.
