At Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were inspired by a Roman holiday. But the effect was not glamorous, so much as girlish and a little bohemian, kept in line with restrained cuts and colours.
The mood was upbeat, pretty and retro, with models wearing sandals laced high on the leg that were decorated with golden starfish and shells – those were twisted into their hair, too.
The designers here have created a sleek and ascetic code at the house, developing capes and column dresses, elegant silhouettes that they have in recent season begun to fill with bold prints and heavy embellishment. For this collection, they formed a canvas for swirled tile prints, taken from Roman palazzos – these rococo whorls came in a palette of pastels and earthy tones that felt in line with the season’s blossoming seventies trend.
Tiered and full-skirted maxi dresses had something of the Ossie Clark about them – no bad thing – while the broderie, lace and feathers used to construct depth and texture spoke of the craftsmanship within this prestigious atelier.
