Known for his confectionery couture creations, Giambattista Valli presented a decidedly pared-down collection for spring/summer 2021 at Paris Fashion Week. In a time where red carpets are suspended for the foreseeable future, a brand like Giambattista Valli has necessarily pivoted its focus to the real stars: ourselves.
Alluding to lockdown-imposed introspection, Valli explored ideas of solitude, privacy and intimacy—and all the wonders that come with. The virtual presentation was a reflection of the minutiae you’d find yourself more acutely aware of when alone—snippets of wind-blown flora and foliage, slices of blue skies—not unlike the sorts of images that you collect on your camera roll on a solitary walk. This may be second nature to introverts, but the clothes are everything but reserved: dresses were generously adorned with frills and ruffles, and sheer micro-dots serve as non-verbal hints of quirkiness for anyone who prefers their clothes to speak for them instead. The collection’s strongest accessory? Arguably the return of dainty hair bows, which never seem to infantilise the ensembles. Florals and laser-cut lace made a reappearance, but somewhat new to the Valli toolbox is tweed—in midi-dresses and cropped jackets paired with mini sequinned shorts.
Dressing up for your own pleasure can be a radical act of self-love in a time where so much of what we do is for the online and public gaze. And it was this very sentiment that Valli sought to encourage with his spring/summer 2021 offering: there’s no better companion than yourself to dress up for, to take out on a solo date, to just be with.
