Something is going very right at Valentino. It would be hard to name another designer in the establishment echelons of fashion who is putting out a more inclusive, relatable, and unforced sense of modern elegance than Pierpaolo Piccioli. After his sensational haute couture collection in January, it was hard to believe that he could follow up so quickly with a different but equally nuanced ready-to-wear show. “Romanticism,” he called it. “It’s a strength today, if you’re able to be assertive but not aggressive.”
How to put it? Where so many other designers have sought to meet these fraught times with throwbacks to ’80s-power-woman shoulder-padded templates, Piccioli has found a new cadence of expression. It includes flowing lines, flowers, layers, scalloped edges, and a vibrant, sophisticated color sense. For evening, there was a wealth of options to cover all occasions, according to the person a woman might be. It might mean flowing, completely covered-up gowns or ankle-length A-line tunics with slim trousers beneath. It embraced tailoring in a fresh way, producing combinations of jackets over dresses over pants. Piccioli handled both minimalism, in spare, dramatic shapes, and decorative embellishment in blown-up floral appliqués and jacquards.
A measure of how Piccioli has developed Valentino’s range is how far he’s moved it on from the Renaissance virginal look which first put the house in a leadership position in the days when he was working with Maria Grazia Chiuri. In this second phase, there was only one reminder of the empire-line princess neckline that was the house signature a few years ago. Now the collection offers a smorgasbord for women regardless of age, shape, or cultural tastes. It recognized dignity and delighted in amazing color. Bravo, Piccioli. This was outstanding.
