Valentino’s Eden

Written by Dana Karlson
28.01.2010

For their third couture instalment at Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli have recreated the Garden of Eden in swathes of chiffon and pleating. This brilliant tribal dream was gingerly splashed with lemon and rouge, and wound with bright pink accents and seductive sheer black. Grounded in nude hues, Valentino’s fairy nymphs were wrapped in layers of whispy silk down to their feet bound with delicate ribbon. And of course there was an ever-so-slight trace of crimson, paying homage to the house.

With flames of citrus yellow and pink dancing behind as they walked, the models were styled with gauze blindfolds and dusty blue shadow brushed along their shoulders (a la Avatar?) A nude jumpsuit stood out with beautiful salmon and hibiscus-coloured butterfly wings floating after it. There was certainly a cyber fantasy unwinding in florescent hues and sharp shapes, amidst a stage set with delicate ruffles and a soft floral motif.

The mood was decidedly younger across the runway, which was filled with sheer chiffon draped over sky-scraping hemlines. Chiuri and Piccioli are testing the boundaries of tradition and elegance set by the past regime, and introducing a new style in an effort to broaden the Italian line’s appeal. The duo have taken Valentino down an interesting route, and we’re intrigued to see what path Autumn/Winter 2010 will follow.