January 28, 2016 |
Images of preraphaelite muses and the turn-of-the century dancer Loie Fuller populated Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino mood board for spring. The first outfit was called “Isadorable” in homage to Isadora Duncan, and their models walked barefoot on a gilded catwalk scattered with rose petals. Yes, it was business as usual at Valentino – the business being to make women dream. Fortuny was a key reference for complex arrangements of pleats and stamped velvets in jewel tones that spoke of antiquity – moss green, claret, a rich sulphur yellow. That perhaps sparked off a search for classicism that allied this to Valentino’s Roman couture – in place and spirit – shown last July. Whatever the theme or intention, it was lovely, and will richly gild the wardrobes of very many very very rich women come next season, we’re betting.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
