(images via ny mag)
valentino has, for several seasons now, been sculpting the couture contingent (to say nothing of ready to wear) into something the bright young things will want to don for all their functions (see s/s 2010, f/w 2010, s/s 2011) and, for the first time since maria grazia chiuri and pier paolo picciolo gained control, they’ve succeeded. “an intelligent rendition of a wardrobe that a young woman…might like to wear — and nothing that she couldn’t,” suzy menkes, in her iht review, summed up.
“It’s the grace of a woman we’ve been looking for. That’s not a word that’s used very much today, but we think it’s more subversive now to dress like this, with a sense of regality and luxury that has nothing to do with ostentation,” mr. picciolo explained to vogue, while commenting to style that the show was about “A sense of memory.”
staged in, as the the telegraph writes, “the 18th century former home of the Baron Rothschild, in grounds that belonged to the estate of Louis XV1,” the forty or so looks making up the range, ms. chiuri told them, “were inspired by the Russian aristocratic émigrés who came to Paris after the Revolution. They had nothing but their grace but used this as a weapon to add to their regality. We have used simple, cleanness of lines and let fabric speak. This way it is more modern.”
like elie saab, the designers strayed to the softer sides of the colour chart this season, with a palette composed of gold, white, black, and beige with occasional pops of silver, red, and pistachio. these choices, though, perhaps belied the opulence of their materials, lush as couture ever was, and including hammered gold, chantilly lace, tulle, crystals, wool, tweed, cashmere, brocade, crepe, panné velvet, and herringbone lace.
of the clothes themselves, the guardian pointed out that “The silhouette was elegant and could be boiled down to a simple formula – long narrow sleeves, higher necklines, slim waists and gently flared skirts. Covered beaded buttons snaked down the spine of many of the dresses, providing an element of subtle ornamentation,” while cathy horyn’s review in the nyt drew apt comparisons between the collection and the styles kate middleton has so publicly embraced.
in the end, and though it still often leaned in favour of the young, it was a pleasure to see the designer had discarded their little girls sixties frocks of a year ago for that which seems (in appearance, at least) more quietly luxurious, that which cathy horyn describes as “youthful but womanly, with round necklines, natural waists and long sleeves.” ms. chiuri and mr. picciolo have stumbled occasionally (okay, often) in efforts to find the correct foot on which to proceed with the label, and though they’ll doubtless be reinventing again soon in the future, let’s hope it’s not far from this to which they stray. it’s the best example from the house i’ve seen as yet of pairing the future with the past.
(watch the full runway show video here)
oneporktaco 