New beginning: Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccoli goes solo at Paris Fashion Week
Maria Grazia Chiuri might still need time to prove her new vision for Dior, but Pierpaolo Piccoli has ensured that Valentino is in good hands with the first collection he unveiled as solo creative director.
The show took place at Hotel Salomon de Rothschild instead of Valentino’s usual spot at Espace Tuileries. The location, however, is not at all strange to the house – both Valentino’s haute couture and menswear collections were shown there.
“A new beginning demands a certain forgetfulness,” the brand stated. “By becoming forgetful, signs of a subversive and individual grace can be found dispersed in history.”
For his new start at Valentino, Piccoli looked to visionary masterminds such as Hieronymus Bosch for inspiration. Artist Zandra Rhodes was commissioned to reinterpret Bosch’s famous painting, “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, – the prints were seen adorning new looks from the spring-summer collection.
Another key motif is the dagger-and-heart that had been featured in previous collections. The motif, however, had a geometric look and was executed in not only digital prints but also in extensive beadwork and embroidery. The dagger motif was also featured as statement earrings in a variety of colours.
Floor-grazing dresses comprised a good chunk of the collection, rendered in silk gauze, crepe de chine and beautiful tulle with lavish embroidery or velvet applique. Compared to previous collections, the new silhouette featured a lower-hung drop waist and a more relaxed fit.
Boxy cut jackets or shin-length trenches were paired with feminine gowns. One look features a pastel pink leather jacket with the re-worked Bosch print worn over a matching pleated skirt and pink turtleneck sweater.
Chained square metal pouches were matched with most of the runway looks – some featuring prints that matched the dresses. Chained leather Rosestud purses were also seen on the runway.
The creative director comes up with visionary prints and ensembles and reinterprets the dagger-and-heart motif