'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
-
Ronan Bouroullec book merges art, design and everyday life‘Ronan Bouroullec: Day After Day’, from Phaidon, is a visual inventory of the French designer’s work, artistic output and daily inspiration
-
Inside the gleaming new Comme des Garçons store in Paris
Comme des Garçons reveals a four-storey new retail space in Paris, housing lines previously only available in Japan, as well as exclusive reissues of Rei Kawakubo’s collectible furniture
-
Eva Jospin and Ruinart put the fizz in Frieze London 2023
Champagne house Ruinart brings artist Eva Jospin’s vision of its terroir to Frieze London 2023, and celebrates with a limited edition Jeroboam of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
-
Valentino’s new Beijing exhibition explores the role of fashion
‘Re-Signify Part Two’ juxtaposes items from the Valentino archive and the work of contemporary artists such as Cao Fei, Xu Zhen, and Nick Knight
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear shows
From giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
Valentino Des Atelier Haute Couture sees fashion and art collide
Seventeen contemporary artists enter a dynamic dialogue around dressing to create Valentino’s A/W 2021 Des Ateliers Haute Couture collection
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2021: designers riff on romp and relaxation
Milan Fashion Week offered a wardrobe for life after lockdown, by brands including Fendi, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino and Giorgio Armani
-
Sweats and sequins: the duality of dressing at Milan Fashion Week S/S 2021
Brands from Dolce & Gabbana to Valentino considered post pandemic dressing, with escapist and pragmatic silhouettes presented with aplomb
-
A decade of fashion show history in pictures
British photographer Jason Lloyd Evans shares his favourite backstage images, from the runway shows of Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Armani, Proenza Schouler, Versace and more
-
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
-
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s
