On the first day of the Paris-based leg of menswear SS16’s gala performances, Valentino revealed its most unbridled side. Building on the fashion house’s increasingly fanciful transition now that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli are firmly at the helm, the creative directors steered the brand in an invigorating new direction.
Chiuri and Piccioli based this all around a frankly amusing Hawaiian tropics theme that sneaked onto the many layers of their latest line of menswear ensembles. Firstly featuring it heavily among the focal point accessories that included clutches and pouches which for some reason fastened to the waist, and secondly, on some shirts here and there.
Fortunately they gave this up soon after and the clothing took on a more sensible tone that incorporated the camo prints and studs more associated with Valentino’s overly ubiquitous Rockstud line of accessories. Despite the connotations, these pieces came out with the most energy behind them. Plus, this led the way for some very vibrant and charmingly embellished takes on the modern military jacket.
Elsewhere, denim on denim on denim and not much else was another avenue that Valentino’s restless design duo veered all too far down. One can only draw the conclusion that denim and camo is the next best thing?
That concoction is unfortunately just a little too Von Dutch trucker cap for this Glass fashion writer. Make no mistake though, Chiuri and Piccioli’s energy is a godsend for the house of Valentino and SS16 produced a handful of statement pieces for the hippest of the hip, but next time, try taking a breath.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com