Why the Valentino of today bucks fashion stereotypes, according to creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli – ‘It’s not like the ivory towers of 50 years ago’

Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli hates all the stereotypes about his job – ‘I’m a couturier of 2022, not a couturier of the ’60s,’ he tells the Post

Piccioli’s vision of the Italian legacy brand is one that appeals to a younger generation, and moves it away from the ‘snob and elitist luxury of 10 years ago’

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Published: 4:15pm, 25 Jul 2022

As the creative director of Italian fashion house Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli simply wants to celebrate beauty. You’re probably thinking, “A fashion designer who is into beauty? Groundbreaking.”

Beauty, however, is in scarce supply in fashion nowadays – especially the kind of beauty that Piccioli champions.

You do not need to be a fashion insider to know that ugliness sells. While it may be a lazy way to create buzz and gain attention, ugliness – often with an ironic twist – is made for short attention spans and the virality of social media. It is no wonder that designers left and right have embraced it with open arms.

Piccioli begs to differ.

Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli with his couture studio team after the Valentino haute couture autumn/winter 2022-23 show.

“I believe that beauty has a lot of power,” he says from the Valentino headquarters in the heart of Rome, the day after the brand’s latest haute couture show in early July.

“Ugliness can often be contemporary or modern as a reaction to the ugliness in the world, but that approach is a bit superficial. I believe that you need to react to the ugliness in the world with beauty.”