As so many designers embrace normality, it was refreshing to see that Valentino's Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli still have a taste for the dramatic and opulent. They'd been looking to 'outsiders and freethinkers' for S/S 15 and their tendency towards 'silent sedition' - in summary, the sartorial bad boy. That explains those sensual, loose pyjama-like silhouettes that suggested bohemian days spent lounging, pondering and creating. But that easy flow didn't disrupt the signature focus on craft. Pieces may have looked relaxed, but the Valentino focus on couture for men was as prominent as ever, enfusing the collection with a quiet luxury and poise both when immediacy visible - those brocades screamed man-hours - and only noticeable on very close inspection - even the most basic item, a crisp white shirt, came in impalpable fine wool.
But freedom seemed to be the main ethos. You could see that in the rural landscapes, animals and flowers that littered the pieces, echoing the kind of romantic, busy wallpaper one encounters in elegant, bohemian haunts, and disrupting any stiffness that came from some of the military-inspired pieces. Freedom also directed the pair's focus towards 'rule-breaking', to quote the show notes. They'd prioritised responding to and echoing the eclectic way modern men mix and match their pieces effortlessly rather than adhering to any stuffy, stiff codes. One jacket came decorated with a majestic peacock spreading his feathers in bold psychedelic hues - what an apt symbol for a collection made to seduce and delight modern dandies who love to peacock in comfort.
