More gorgeous couture collections paraded from the depths of the haute runways direct from Paris. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli the new duo who took over for the famed and fabulous Valentino himself, have made it a part of their mission to lengthen the gap between their reign and the house of old. For them it starts with the House of V’s traditional couture clientele base. “We want to catch a new customer,” Chiuri said in a preview earlier this week.
To lure that new customer Chiuri and Piccioli showed a different spin on couture Wednesday one that definitely targets a younger clietele. Both charming and beautifully crafted much of the lineup gives a nod to the flirty yet structured look of the pre-Mod Sixties, with some pieces even screaming of early Valentino. Though as noted yesterday, some couturiers took hems (strangely in my opinion) to midcalf, this Valentino duo bucked the trend and went ultrashort or long with nothing in between. Some pieces boasted high-waists, baby-doll hems and scads of ruffles. Several pieces featured dropped-torso dresses and coats formly fitting the body then departing into flirty, fluffy mini’s.
This collection was definitely served up with a mass of tiers and bows, (so classic Valentino) that oft times in combo with the shorter hemlines it gave pieces a too cute feeling, but overall it was reminiscent of Italian sixties cinema done right. Only on occasion did the designers get a little too flashy, for instance the silly all- for- show bulbous cage of a jacket.
And let’s not forget the pretty party gowns, I have to say that these were delightful in every way and much needed as not every woman wants a hemline that begs to show her La Perla’s. Many of these well sewn frocks will be perfect for the jet-set It girls who are proud to cross the pond just for a little haute’ in their life.
All in all the collection was young, beautiful and occasionally a tad cute for the couture price tag but I say forever shall the house of Valentino reign.
And on a side note we can’t leave out the fabulous and fashionable front row. Celebs like Elizabeth Hurley fresh from her role as a filmmaker (her doc-u-pic about her experiences on her organic farm is in the works) and Claire Danes both enjoyed the show with pal Jessica Alba.
