I am going through a Valentino renaissance. I have always liked Valentino, (liked not loved I must say) especially the elegance and sophistication which resonates from all of their collections. From the sweeping, silk dresses, classic stud shoes, soft blouses and red carpet gowns, Valentino are what I would call a safe brand. You're not going to see one season when they send punks down the runway. The will do 'punk' but with a magical, fairy tale spin. With Maria Grazia Chiuri, who's now at Dior, and Pier Paulo Piccoili working together during the years they spent at the brand, there was a period of pure beauty and wonder. And now with Chiuri at gone, Piccioli can shine alone, taking centre stage at this beautiful brand.
Valentino's couture collection last week gave Pier Paulo Piccioli the opportunity to showcase his skills. Long, lean lines made the models look like angels treading carefully down the runway, layers of chiffon swept with the wind while pistachio shades worked with white, lemon, ruby red and ivory. The way the dresses fell reminded me of ancient Roman statues which stare serenely out across palaces and forgotten ruins. There was a real sense of majesty to the show with less attention paid to embellishment and more focus on the folds of material. Simplicity is what Valentino do so well, and now that Piccioli is working alone, I hope that his style will become more apparent and classic, not that it's not already classic enough. His love of high necklines and fluid shapes make him a love of Hollywood stars for red carpet events, while his demure clothing suits many of his Arab clients who favour longer sleeves and hemlines.
I was also drawn to Valentino's Spring/Summer 2017 campaign after seeing it in Vogue. Refreshing, poised and eye catching, this campaign feels like a very modern Valentino. Liya Kebede, Chirsty Turlington, Fei Fei Sun and new face Ratner stare hauntingly out of the photos in stunning black and white imagery by David Sims. Turlington is particularly beautiful. Wearing minimal make up, she bares all her lines and wrinkles, instead of trying to cover them with the help of air brushing which is very refreshing for an ad campaign. "The eternity of a portrait, the immediacy of a documented moment, the poised simplicity of introspection," explained Piccioli of this spring campaign. "A campaign that plays with time: what endures and what is unrepeatable."
The opposite pages feature whimsical photographs taken behind the scenes at the Valentino spring/summer 2017 show by Sims. I love the silk red dress which looks like a cardinal's robe given a make over while the blurred photos add a sense of magic and charm. I'm usually drawn to strong images especially for ad campaigns, so surprised myself that these Valentino ads should stand out as much as they do. I really am interested to see what Piccioli does in the future at Valentino, now that his former design partner is receiving rave reviews at Dior. Nevertheless, the true Valentino Garavani would be proud of this collection.
Bearing in mind that I once worked for Celine, I know the excellent quality and level of craftsmanship that goes into their pieces.This particular Celine collection wasn't really a favourite of mine, but the details and fabrics chosen by Phoebe Philo are really first class. from the warm wool coats to the chiffon pleat skirts, there was a real mix for next season. Blue was a key colour of choice, with a number of luxurious jumpers and trousers, but I also spotted tweeds, pristine whites and even hot pink.
BALENCIAGA
Kim Kardashian goes make up free on the Balenciaga front row
VALENTINO
Seeing as Maria Grazia Chiuri has now left Valentino for Dior, Pier Paulo Piccocli has been left to his own devices at the helm of the Italian fashion house. The shapes, long and lean, colours, soft pinks and monochrome and overall feel of the show were all very Valentino in every possible way. I loved all the little cross body bags that models wore, which were literally so tiny you would struggle to fit your keys in there.
NINA RICCI
MUGLER
With a steller cast of models which included Karlie Kloss in a floor length black dress and a very sexy collection, this Mugler show was everything and more.
Missed any of the couture shows from Paris fashion week? Take a look at some of my highlights from the best shows over the past couple of days. From Valentino's medieval heroines, Chanel's master craftsmanship and Armani eternal elegance to the very cute mini me's seen at Elie Saab; there were so many great moments with plenty of beautiful dresses on show. Enjoy...
I really enjoyed this Chanel show. For autumn/winter, Karl Lagerfeld took things back to basics, without all the eccentric catwalk sets, gimmicks and celebrity fanfare we have come to expect from Chanel. Models weren't walking around a supermarket or emerging out of an underwater kingdom, instead the likes of Kendall Jenner, Lindsay Wixon, Gigi Hadid and Anja Rubik just simply walked down a plain white runway. All emphasis was placed on the clothes which were classic Chanel in every way. There were very strong equestrian themes throughout with all the leather boots, flat top hats, gloves and strings of pearls. The Chanel suit was given a fun make over in hot pink and denim blue, yet the simplicity of beige and monochrome helped add some normanilty to what was a steady show.
The puffa jacket made an appearance as did a long khaki coat - 2 trends which have popped up at most PFW shows, while Lagerfeld looked back to the brands heritage around the 1930s with formal suiting and pretty shift dresses, all in classic tweed. I loved the layered silk dresses at the end of the show which came with black collars and belts cinching in the wasit. I also loved the contemporary feel of the whole show, as it was such a breath of fresh air from a very established brand.
Valentino
This wasn't one of my favourite Valentino shows (I am still in love with their Couture show from last year) but it was still beautiful. When Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paulo Piccolo emerged onto the catwalk to take a bow at the end of the show, they were both beaming with happiness. And with good reason too. These designers know how to do elegance, with dresses which look amazing on and off the runway. I loved the nude, sheer pieces towards the end of the show as they radiated elegance.
Jewels came encrusted onto strappy shift dresses, halter necked chiffon gowns looked as light as a feather while layers of black net sweeping the floor on other gowns. This ending was a stark contrast with the first looks of the collection which were all black and very formal, with knitwear and boxy coats making a statement. A bright yellow dress in the middle of the show broke things up a little bit while the looks that followed just kept getting more and more decadent.
A Midsummer Night's Dream at Valentino
I always have great expectations when watching a Valentino show, especially when it's a couture show. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli are masters at their craft and this 66 piece Valentino collection was absolutely divine.
It felt as though we were watching an act from A Midsummer Night's Dream, with dresses embroidered with floral designs, layers of sweeping silk draped upon the body and a sense of the Orient with decadent dragon patterns adorned onto column dresses. Everywhere you looked there was a sense of beautiful radiance, from the catwalk which was covered in tiny gold pieces of tissue to the models who walked barefoot with elegant snake headpieces in their hair. Rich golds, forest greens and the classic black and white were used to full effect, with amazing beige transparent fabrics used on the stunning gowns at the end of the show.
Angels and heavenly aura always spring to mind when watching Valentino. I loved the bright patterned long jackets which were layered over full gowns, as well as that amazing gold mesh creation and the heavy necklaces which wrapped around the middle of the dress like a medieval belt. Mariano Fortuny was the clear inspiration behind this collection, and this art like motif was reflected in the show, with Roman and Grecian influences shining through. Truly stunning.
A Haute Fairytale at Zuhair Murad
Zuahir Murad is one of those go to red carpet designers that will never let you down. Maybe thats why he's a firm favourite by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Cheryl Cole and Emma Stone. His haute couture collection yesterday was nothing short of amazing, with such exquisite jewel colours, full long dresses and even an incredible encrusted playsuit with large shoulder pads - that was one of the favourite looks.
Focusing on pastel colours such as soft baby blues, light pinks, acidic yellows and olive greens this show was feminine and light, but with plenty of glamour too. The show opened with a number of radiant white looks, with lots of see-through lace panelling on crinolined skirts and even a white pair of cigarette trousers, which was a nice change from all the dresses we're used to seeing. The waist was continually highlighted with a very womanly silhouette, using thin belts to cinch in the prominent feature. But above all, I loved the way the collection flowed running through like a kaleidoscope of colour. So rich and powerful, but also soft and very beautiful.
There was a nature theme, similar to Valentno with leaves and flowers entwined onto cage skirts. Pieces came shorter at the front and longer at the back showing off the leg, large duchess satin dresses felt from the hips cascading across the floor, while the wide wedding dress at the end of the collection was a perfect finale piece. I would definitely expect to see a number of these stunning pieces appearing on the Oscars red carpet next month, and will be pretty surprised if they fail to do so.
Just when you think you've seen it all from Karl Lagerfeld, he blows
your mind once again. We have had a barn yard, a rotating carousel, an
underwater kingdom complete with Florence Welch emerging from shell, a supermarket and
now... an airport terminal, flying from gate no.5, of course!
Yep, you heard correctly. If you haven't already seen the amazing venue,
watch the video link at the top of this post and you'll see what I mean. The
Chanel spring/summer 2016, was held in a life like make shift airport,
with air attendants, a check in desk, luggage trolleys, airport waiting seats and even
boarding passes for show tickets, with seat numbers and baring the Chanel logo!
Anna Dello Russo had great fun posing with the trolleys after the show -
perfect Instagram material! Lagerfeld really out did himself with such a
lavish, amazing spectacle that I can't even imagine how exciting it
must have been for the lucky audience members watching the show, let
alone me admiring the collection through a screen.
And as for the clothes. It was all classic Chanel. The collection opened
with Edie Campbell wearing a neon pink and green gingham jumpsuit,
pulling a suitcase along with her. Then it was just a roll call of
fashionable passengers, all in tweed suits, bright blue eyeliner which
looked like a sci-fi visor over the eyes, chunky skirts and silk blouses
adorned with pops of colour.
Red and blue stood out predominantly,
colours usually associated with air stewards uniforms, while gingham as
seen at Stella McCartney was a key feature. Smart blazers came with
layers of necklaces, something Lagerfeld really plays on seeing as
Gabrielle Coco Chanel basically invented costume jewellery. While there
were also 80's influences in the form with jackets tied around the
waist, baseball hats and clashing prints piled against each other.
Mini skirts were swinging and transparent, silver shoes did all the
walking, literally done the super long runway staged at the normal
Chanel venue, the Grand Palais. Kendall Jenner made an appearance, which
got Twitter talking, in a blue midi skirt and matching tweed jacket
while models strolled through check in with ease and style. There were a
couple of really lovely lady like looks, such as a v-neck pastel pink
mini dress which was worn with a flat hat and sunglasses. Or maybe you
fancied the white Peter Pan collared dress, which was slightly
see-through but pretty enough to pass as a luxury day dress. And then came the finale, which featured Cara Delevingne, even though she didn't walk in show but is still an ambassador of the brand, however much she tries to distance herself away from modelling. Other models pretended to check out at the desks, while others filed through the departure lounge all head to toe in Chanel. What fun!
I know there are some who don't like King Karl, as I like to call him, and feel that his work at Chanel is dated and completely boring compared to the other amazing designers out there. But the truth is, I can't think of anyone who can possibly take his place at Chanel. his vision and design talent have built this fashion house into the mighty luxury brand it is today, and his crazy spectacles of a show are something which will have magazines and the press talking for months. I loved this Chanel collection, and respect such a talented designer such as Karl Lagerfeld. Now, please excuse me, I have to go and catch my flight on Chanel Airlines...
A Trip to Africa with Valentino Today's Valentino spring/summer 2016 collection was a million miles away from the Chanel show staged earlier today. There was no giant airport to distract you from the clothes, no gimmicks, no over the top craziness. It was just the clothes, and the craftsmanship and beauty that did all the talking, in what was a fantastic collection, and one of the finest I think Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paulo Picciolo have produced.
The collection opened with scuptural black evening and day dresses, some falling to the ground and others sitting comfortably on the knee. Picciolo and Chiuri now practically own the whole 'make the models look like angel' look, and this show was no different, yet models sported tightly braided hair which gave way to messy buns at the back of the head. An ode to African culture. Of course, there were still plenty of signature, Valentino, Italian pieces, such as the leather mini dresses, Victorian-esque blouses with high neck collars, pre raphaelite looking maxi dresses and decadent embroidery on silk tops and jackets. As well as black, there were earthy colours mirroring the landscape of Africa, such as browns, orange, yellow and beige which were sublime and beautiful.
I loved the Masai warrior style dresses, which looked like a fierce harness on the top and then gave way to black mesh skirts, as well as the fringing details and bright orange and white prints on jackets and shorts. The geometric patterns printed on sheer silk dresses were also impressive, worn with statement necklaces and flat gladiator sandals - footwear which has been the top choice for shoes so far at PFW. Long skirts came layered with flowing coats, decorated with pattern along the hem and the lapels while the white feathers which sprouted from shoulders and around the neck looked highly luxurious but also very African.
To be honest, there was Africa everywhere, southern Africa to be exact and the plains of country which are full of tribes, animals and wildlife. Dresses looked like old shields and spears that are usually hand painted by tribesmen and wonderful animal prints such as elephants and giraffes were printed onto sweeping maxi dresses in such beautiful colours like dark green, dusky orange and chocolate brown.
Valentino are known for their fluid, long, lean lines and this collection featured many of those classic shapes. I personally loved the white looks seen at the end of the collection, which were highly embroidered, embellished show stoppers which tastefully did not show off any flesh, covering the arms, the body and the chest. It just shows you can look elegant and beautiful without flashing your legs, or your cleavage and Valentino proved that mythical beauty can shine through anything any day with one of their gorgeous angel-like creations. The whole collection was amazing; so rich with cultural influences and beauty that you felt as though you were watching a couture show rather than ready-to-wear. This is one of my favourite shows so far of PFW, and we now only have one more day to go. Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu are the big names showing on the final day of Paris fashion week, and they will surely be collections you won't want to miss. Check back here for the full reviews and images.
