PURITY and extravagance defined Pierpaolo Piccioli’s SS20 for Valentino at PFW. The show began with white clouds of cotton poplin, shaped into shirt dresses, before morphing into a rainbow of colour and pattern.
The vivid lime green interior at the Hotel National des Invalides juxtaposed the absence of colour in the initial ensembles. The inspiration behind the collection is the artistic technique of grisaille, a painting made using shades of grey and white. By subtracting colour, shapes and volumes come to the fore, which Piccioli replicated in the collection, focusing on powerful silhouettes. Tulle was layered to create volume and ostrich feathers and ornamented dresses added texture. As the show progressed, colour slithered onto the runway in the form of clean brights and embroidered jungle creatures and plants.
The best look was kept until last. A snowy white tulle dress, with sea-foamed waves of fanned material, crashed onto the runway. It had a high, Elizabethan style ruffled collar which elongated the model’s neck, creating an elegant and refined look. Beauty was sublime – the jewel encrusted eyes and golden lids would have made Cleopatra jealous, and skin was clear and radiant. Make up was complimented by dangling golden earrings in the guise of flowers and tree branches, continuing the nature theme. The Invalides were overtaken by the majestic romanticism that Valentino is know for.
Front row guests included actors Lachlan Watson and Nathalie Emmanuel and supermodel, Naomi Campbell.
by Alicia Pountney