The return of in-person fashion shows these past few weeks, for Paris' Haute Couture Week, has confirmed that, a year and a half after the pandemic first took hold, people are ready to get dressed. And Valentino’s latest show is the embodiment of that spirit.
On Thursday, the Italian house showed its couture show, filled with bold colourblocking, party-ready feathers, opera gloves, and statement sleeves.
Shown in Venice, Italy, the 84-look collection featured elevated basics like bold-hued coats, matching sets, and A-line skirts. The office-ready looks were contrasted with oversized feather hats, Olivia Pope-approved gloves, sequined jackets, and dramatic gowns. In line with creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s signature style, the lineup was full of colours, from apple red and sunshine yellow to royalty-ready purple and aqua blue.
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The collection confirms that some of the biggest trends we’ve witnessed this spring and summer will continue through the fall, including cut-outs, party dressing, going-out tops, and statement sleeves. Feathers — seen on hats, capes, and jackets — are also becoming the protagonist in 2021, thanks to designers and celebs like Harry Styles. (Search for “feather boas” spiked 1,500% on Lyst, a global fashion search platform, after the Grammy Awards, where Styles wore three consecutive feather boas in one night.)
Valentino’s collection also signals the return (whether you like it or not) of colourblocking, with standout combinations including purple and green, as well as pink and neon green.
A staple of the 2010s, colourblocking made an appearance earlier this season, at Bottega Veneta and Brandon Maxwell’s spring collections, with subversive takes on monochromatic dressing that contrasted lighter and bolder hues of the same colour in one outfit. (Think: a pink top paired with a red bottom and a burgundy blazer, as seen on Prada’s spring 2021 runway.) Back in 2010, designers like Raf Simons, Jil Sander, and Prabal Gurung defined the colourful aesthetic, while retailers like J. Crew and Zara took the popular runway trend to the masses.
Though colourblocking is already a bold trend, Valentino is pushing its limits, pairing it with glamorous accessories that make sweatpants look so 2020. Take a look at the full collection below.