In the wake of a war, human desolation and suffering, Paris Fashion Week trudged on full steam ahead, yet not without its own conflicts and hesitations. Demna Gvasalia reacted in a riveting presentation at Balenciaga, where his arsenal of models struggled to walk amidst a makeshift blizzard. The underlying message was a clear resistance towards the perils of the world. In Pierpaolo Piccioli’s showing for Valentino fall/winter 2022, however, his act of resistance had everything to do with love.
“It was a hard week. It is a hard moment. We reacted the only way we know by working. We reacted by not allowing to get paralysed by the fear of war, trying to remember that the privilege of our freedom is now bigger than ever. Our thoughts goes to those who are suffering. We see you. We feel you. And we love you. Because love is the answer, always,” remarked Piccioli as he opened the show.
Birthed from a collaboration with Pantone Colour Institute, an eye-grabbing pink awashed the show’s set and seats. As Piccioli explained in show notes, the colour is “a manifestation of the unconscious and a liberation from the need for realism.” In a radical gesture, he chose to strip everything down to a single hue, contrasted with other monochromatic pieces in black.
From voluminous pieces to the soft romanticism found in ruffles, lace and sheer fabrics, the declaration of pink took on a profound meaning on the runway, too. We saw signatures being revisited in bigger proportions—namely, sculptural silhouettes and sharp tailoring. The accessories followed suit, as platform shoes and mini bags vied for attention amidst the uniformity of it all. Think: dramatic heels and the Roman Stud magnified as a single clasp on a bag.
In such fraught times where the meaning of fashion is often up for debate, Piccioli faced the conundrum head on. Through this bold declaration, his vision for Valentino remained undaunted; if anything, it took the house to greater heights.
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