'Hey baby, take a walk on the wild side.' An Italian rendition of Lou Reed's swinging ode to adventure pumped through the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild yesterday for Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's veritable Valentino 'art safari'. Borrowing from the label's recent couture and resort outings, this vivid menswear collection saw retro wallpaper florals and a menagerie of fantastical birds, beasts and butterflies take foot and flight across military and pyjama-like vestments - their proportions both exaggerated and refined in opulent suede and double cashmere, silk jacquards, and leather-trimmed fine-gauge wools. Staking claim on the wardrobe of 'outsiders and freethinkers', the designers applied such a myriad of decorative elements to fundamental shapes as to cause hallucinogenic transformation. A pea green suede Harrington jacket was turned to reveal a fanning peacock appliqué on its back, along with Dali-esque enamel lapel pins. A field jacket was similarly heavy with mythological brocade featuring giant squid, unicorns and exotic birds. Their ubiquitous camouflage also returned painted in splashes of red across a taupe leather coat, however the new 'camubutterfly' is set for a lavish takeover, swarming across coats and blazers in a dusty print or daring, lustrous embroidery.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
