Difficulties bring about opportunities; limitations can actually broaden horizons. Even if we’ve been forced into seclusion, the mind can keep traveling with dreams and thoughts and images—a motionless journey. This is what Giambattista Valli believes: “The pandemic has helped me to expand and better articulate my lexicon,” he said over a Zoom presentation of his pre-fall collection.
Known for being the king of fabulous red carpet concoctions and a darling of the high-style party set, Valli has been thinking about how fashion can help women navigate these less “happy times” differently. “There’s more humanity, more privacy, a deeper way of looking at ourselves, more introspection,” he said. Yet because of that, the need for mental wellbeing is even stronger. “The feel of the collection is much more intimate and sentimental. It’s about gestures of self-expression and emotions. It’s about the soul,” he added.
Although our present state of forced privacy is certainly conducive to “knowing thyself,” the outside world will sooner or later resume a more active pace; energy levels will be restored. When this moment finally manifests, Valli will have us covered. Little suits in chiné wool conveyed a nonchalant French allure; slim and short city coats and minidresses in wool bouclé looked as practical as they did racé; and cool camouflage prints were given an insouciant artsy spin. Mughal flowers printed on romantic crêpe de chine dresses conjured memories of travels past, as did the paisley and boteh motifs needle-and-thread embroidered on bohemian blouses. The youthful vibe running through the collection made for a joyful, seductive IRL rendition of Valli’s high-style narrative.
“I have worked at this collection as if it were a sort of storyboard of feelings, emotions, and sentiments,” reflected Valli. “When it’s in stores in a few months, our situation will certainly be different. But how? We cannot predict. We’ll be ready to party and to resume the euphoria of an exciting social life, this much is sure. But this extraordinary moment, so difficult and challenging, has brought about such strong understanding and knowledge on so many social and cultural issues of our human condition on this planet. One thing is certain,” he concluded, “there is no going back from this awareness.”
