Climbing ramage, camellias, gardenias, anemones, peonies, lilies of the valley; the list of floral motifs in Giambattista Valli’s new collection is exhaustive enough to intimidate even the most seasoned of gardeners, especially given that his designs often come with 3-D petal embellishments that are not far removed from the real thing. Flowers have always been in the Roman-born designer’s wheelhouse, and that straightforward sense of pretty is very much at the roots of his brand, too. The pick of the bunch this time around included a long micro daisy-sprigged lace dress—a nice update on the LWDs that have dominated lately—and a floor-sweeping empire line number printed with roses and finished with a Victorian-style lacy high collar, a flattering red carpet–appropriate silhouette that is rapidly becoming a signature.
There were plenty of other classic Valli-isms to be found: statement fur vests and jackets spliced with lace in sugary shades of pink and lilac and ruffled cocktail minidresses and silk chiffon blouses galore. There were several iterations of his popular grommet-studded gladiator sandals, and the knee-high versions, which came in shades of mint green and gold, worked well with the shorter hemlines in the collection. They’re bound to be a repeat hit with women inside his glamorous social circle—the Brandolinis and Santo Domingos of the world—and statement shoe fanatics across the globe alike. Nothing earth-shatteringly new to be sure, but more a continuation of the refined romantic message the designer has been honing for the past few seasons.
