PIERPABLO PICCIOLI creative director and designer for the House of VALENTINO made history on several levels when he closed out the week of Couture shows in Paris last week. Now, know that Couture is the highest level of design creativity. It’s the finest of fabrics crafted with the most exquisite of handmade workmanship….that said, PIERPABLO couture collection for VALENTINO was a selection of absolutely, beautifully crafted garments, He has brought couture back to a level of relevance. To all of the skeptics who noted over the past few years that the couture was a dying art, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli proved differently with this stunning display of couture elegance. Equally significant was that out of the 65 models handpicked to bring the collection to life, were 42 Black models, a record number, especially for the couture, from a major Italian House of global reverence.[the_ad id=”29370″]
INSPIRATION – CODE BLACK
Piccoli sited several Black references as inspiration for this historical couture collection – The Black Madonna, the cover girls of Franka Sozzani’s July 2008 Black issue of Italian Vogue, the women in artist Kerry James Marshall’s work, old Ebony & Jet Magazines, Eartha Kitt & Beverly Johnson, and, the famous 1948 photographs of Horst for Vogue Magazine, of designer Charles James dresses on women of color. Of course, a show of this significance would not be complete without the legendary game changers of the fashion industry in full effect. NAOMI CAMPBELL closed out the misc-en-scene wearing an elaborate gown titled “Chocolate Dahlia” – a dark brown translucent organza gown with tiers of ruffled taffeta, cascading into a long frothy trail.
NAOMI CAMPBELL
NAOMI’S MOMENT
By the time Naomi entered the salon of the palatial, late 19th-century townhouse, built for Salomon Mayer von Rothchild, the usually sait, reserved and stoic couture audience burst into loud applause. LIYA KEBEDE, ALEK WEK, GRACE BOL, DUCKIE THOT, AJAK DENG, ADUT AKECH, and TAMI WILLIAMS joined Naomi to make up the “Star Circle” of A-list models. Then the current crew of Black Model Power, including first-timer Ugbad Abai, completed the cabinet, they were – Selena Forrest, Lineisy Montero, Fatou Jobe, Akiima, Naki Depass, Mayowa Nicholas, Naomi Chin Wing, Lisette Morillo, Miqueal-Simone Williams, Anyelina Rosa, Sana Diouf, Hannah Shakespeare, Blesnya Minher, Eftagine Fevilien, Annibellis Baez, Shanelle Nyasiase, Judy Kinuthia, Rouguy Faye, Eliberdy Davis, Hiomdra Martinez, Karly Loyce, Sompra Antonio, Sabah Koj, Nyara Aboja, Aaliyah Hydes, Niko Riam, Litza Velloz, Ayak Veronica Bior, Jonaye Furman, Alyssa Traore, Veronica Cabral, Nichole Atiero and Assa Baradji.
COLOR AND FABRIC SITUATION
Piccoli reshaped couture that’s relevant for 2019 and beyond. His color story was that of a joyous celebration. Bold floral prints were shown alongside big doses of vibrant color. An Almond pink cashmere coat floated through the salon over a chocolate crepe blouse over emerald green gabardine trousers. Matisse blue was paired with green sequins, turquoise lace and tangerine silk faille made for a winning combination. Wallpaper florals made for an elegant entrance making gowns and lavish yards of silk faille and satin in bold sunflower yellows, shocking pink, coral and oyster crepe gowns, all handcrafted with keen attention to details and eye-catching embellishments, made up a big part of the collection.
PERCHED AND TEARY EYED
Perched ringside, in the ornate salon was Mr. Valentino Garavani himself, alongside other design luminaries like; former Valentino designer Raf Simmons, Gianbattista Vali, Clare Waight Keller, and Christian Louboutin. Singer Celine Dion was teary-eyed, as her song played during the show’s finale’. This was truly a historic fashion moment that vogue.com captured in a remarkable reportage stating: “The collection was indeed a triumph of audacious color, transportingly beautiful flawless workmanship and bravura statements for the night, levered with glamorous and insouciant real life propositions for the day.”
