NOT ONE to shy away from clashing colours or textures, the king of maximalism, Pierpaolo Piccioli, returned with his Haute Couture AW19 collection for Valentino.
After being made sole Creative Director of the fashion house back in 2016, Piccioli’s innovative designs have ensured Valentino takes central stage. Founder Valentino Garavani, who retired in 2007, looked on from the front row, alongside celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow and Heidi Klum. Gigi Hadid and ‘60s supermodel, Lauren Hutton, walked alongside Kaia Gerber.
The collection was driven by key values of individuality, diversity and inclusivity – pieces played with compositions alluding to Chinese and native American traditional dress, with kimono-esque silhouettes and bespangled headdresses.
Feathers, pom poms and exquisite embroidery were contrasted with subtler textures of satin and chiffon. To complement these bold textures, Piccioli painted his collection with splashes of azure, lavender and canary yellow.
The set design, strewn with trees and branches, coupled with the collection’s canvas of colour, made one feel as if they were transported to the depths of a far-flung rainforest, encountering a beautiful, highly sophisticated people who had long been lost to the world.
Escapism and a powerful set of modern values made the Valentino show a huge success, leaving the audience wondering – what next?
by Alicia Pountney