Italian fashion house Valentino took to the Chateau de Chantilly, north of Paris, for its fall haute couture outing, where designer Pierpaolo Piccioli presented a romantic lineup of updated styles for the contemporary red carpet set. The show opened with model Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s daughter, in a white shirt left unbuttoned down to the midriff and worn with loose jeans. Straight, crystal chandelier earrings and metallic, pointy-toed flats adorned with bows topped off the look.
The collection also included form-fitting gowns, voluminous capes, and dresses with asymmetric silhouettes and embroidered fringes, sequins, and feathers. Lebanese designer-to-the-stars Zuhair Murad, who recently designed the dress worn by actress Rosamund Pike to her Golden Globe win, offered feminine suits with cutout details. A form-fitting, sexy black number with a thigh-high slit and ruffled neckline was another standout. The brand’s signature Rockstud pumps were given a floral makeover with a flower print, rose gold metallic, and blush pink finishes.
Piccioli’s vision of beauty is geared toward today’s technology-filled, inclusively-prioritized fashion landscape. He is reinterpreting the legacy of Valentino founder and namesake Gianfranco Garavani with a modern edge, proving that couture is not just for frothy gowns and intricate embroidery anymore.
He and co-designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, who left in 2016 to become the first woman to head up Christian Dior, have repositioned the brand to embrace women of all ethnicities. This was demonstrated by the choice of models – all female and of different ethnicities – that appeared in this season’s show.
In the past, haute couture shows were lavish, theatrical affairs. Held in the stately setting of the Paris Opera or at the Hôtel Ritz, the events were attended by socialites and wives of high-ranking world leaders. As a result, they exuded glamour far beyond that of any of today’s fashion weeks, cementing the label’s status as the go-to for refined femininity and red-carpet glitz.
The new era of haute couture is less theatrical but just as glamorous. It has adapted to our modern-day, fast-paced lifestyles and shifted emphasis from intricate embellishments to subtle details that elevate an outfit to the next level. These include things like a small accent sleeve or a slender strap or the addition of a delicate beaded trim or a dainty bow. With the proper styling and hair, they can transform a look from a night out to a day at the office. And it is this kind of reinterpretation that will ensure the longevity and relevance of this style.
