Under Piero Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, Valentino's ultimate successors, the house has continued to create feminine clothes that look obviously classy and very respectable, though the founder's emphasis on posh has been replaced with an ever so faint perversity."Gracefulness with a dark edge," was Piccioli's summary of the collection, shown on an elongated U-shaped catwalk in Halle Freyssinet, a disused railway depot in east Paris.
The dark edge came in semi-sheer tops with vertical ruffles, paired with leather hot pants, or more of less see-through chiffon blouses, where even several layers of fabric and abstract shards of tulle still kept the look pretty transparent. Flared lace tulip cuffs, shoulders embellished with ribbon or belts with tiny fabric bows all added to the sense of crisp femininity.
Though the key to the show was the striking series of lace cocktail dresses, each one more refined that the next, cut and finished with a more sass than those from the period when Valentino was himself the designer of the brand. The eyes of a huge squadron of department store buyers sitting front row practically glimmered at the wealth of choice.
The design duo even showed shiny denim mini suits, something of a rarity for a tony house like Valentino, and instead of the signature sinful red, sent out three rose-hued dresses, one in particular with a miniature cloak that was utterly charming.
Backstage, when asked for his thoughts on the show, Valentino, who retired three years ago, modestly replied: "Very elegant, pretty and feminine. I enjoyed it a lot, and enjoyed applauding the finale. That said, it was, after all, a homage to myself."
