An haute couture dress by Valentino seems to be the right choice for a modern princess to wear these days.
A fairytale for fashion lovers. We’ve come to expect nothing less from a Valentino couture show than pure magic and prettiness. It was breathtaking. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli succeeded one more time with their Haute Couture collection inspired by the Spanish couturier Mariano Fortuny, who created the Delphos gown (a shift dress made of finely pleated silk weighed down by glass beads that held its shape and flowed on the body). Mariano Fortuny was a fashion rebel, purveyor not only of undulating pleats but freedom of movement.
It was a collection that definitely paid tribute to fine textiles, and the history behind their production. The models wore golden snake headpieces and walked in bare, bejeweled feet through pale leaves and petals strewn across the floor.
While far from plain, the clothes weren’t overly decorated, as the designers made careful use of obvious sparkle. They created interest with fabric treatments — an intricate patchwork of brocades, hand-painted gold medallions on red velvet and giant butterflies embroidered at the hem of a pristine white gown. The collection largely consisted of a palette of earthy neutrals or multicolour patchworks, has also a few gorgeous red, gold and green looks. It was all about evening. And emotion. And beauty. Couture doesn’t get better than that.
We could go on about how pretty the collection is, but we suggest you just take a peek at all of the looks for yourself below.
The show ended with a standing ovation. Well deserved!
