FULL BLOOM
Giambattista Valli’s models looked gift-wrapped in black tulle, cleverly draped over black-and-white animal prints like zebra, croc and blown-up cat spots. Models were dressed in black and/or white for the first half of the show, which opened with a structured coatdress, enhanced at the rounded hip and nipped-in at the waist. Like Raf Simons at Dior, he seemed to be channeling Dior’s New Look of 1947 with a focus on hourglass shapes, but a fresh approach came from skinny trousers under strapless ball gowns and mini skirts under flouncy dresses. There was also a nod towards Rococo, with full volume skirts flowing from snug bodices and train-like backs fit for a young Marie Antoinette. She seemed to be a muse for the the second part of the collection, with pieces covered in delicate flower appliqués in blooming colors. The models looked sweet as cake in these lavishly embroidered gowns. But the most interesting pieces were cleverly draped and had an effortless elegance — like the ocelot-spotted jumpsuit with an overlay of mousseline, and the exquisitely cross-draped bodice of a strapless chiffon gown styled with matching trousers. The models, with their fresh-faced make-up and unkempt hair, added to the youthfulness of Valli’s vision.— Celia Ingesson
Silhouette: Hourglass / Full-skirted / Fit-and-flare / Tent
Color: Petal Pink / Blush / Peach / Sunflower / Lilac / Iris / Black / White
Key Items: Coat dress / Full ball skirt / Strapless cocktail dresses (short and long) / Shapely jackets with nipped-in waist / Hourglass tea-length dresses / Cigarette Pants
Materials: Silk Taffeta / Tulle / Guipure lace / Silk chiffon
Print + Pattern: Flower motifs / Animal prints / Graphic
Details + Trim: Flower-shaped appliqués / Asymmetrical drapery / Tulle overlays / Feathers / Croco leather collars / Net lace / Metallic embroidery in flower motifs / High-low hemlines and trains
Accessories + Footwear: Oversized pink gold necklaces, bracelets, hairpieces and belts in leaf and flower motifs / Black, metallic or nude leather pumps with strap details / Lace-toed shoes with metallic strap details
