INSIDE Milan’s storied Piccolo Teatro theatre, Pierpaolo Piccioli presented a new, sensual identity for Valentino as part of their AW21 collection.
Presented digitally, Piccioli paid tribute to the Italian capital’s cultural scene and conveyed a message of hope and determination, saying that he saw the act of reopening a theatre amid a pandemic as “a bold, almost punk gesture”, as well as an “invitation to aggregation and sharing when these activities are denied.”
Valentino AW21
Centred around a new “brutally” short silhouette, the collection featured super-mini dresses and skirts hoisted by high-heel stilettos and puffy embossed-croc leather combat boots.
Valentino AW21
Peacoats were transformed into capes, while evening dresses brought to new proportions with experimental panelling held together by ribbons. Elsewhere, sliced knits and nude pumps adorned with the House’s signature Garavani Rockstud showcased heavy Punk referencing with netting, lace and cut-outs revealing and elegantly shaping the body.
Valentino AW21
A distinctly dark and rebellious turn for the Italian Maison, no doubt this collection will have intrigued both consumers and critics alike as to how Piccioli will further explore this radical romanticism in future seasons.
Valentino AW21
by Joshua Hendren