Mood board: Voluminous couture shapes, neon hues and flounces of taffeta – Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino signatures are often mimicked again and again during fashion week. But for A/W 2020 the designer stripped back his prismatic colour palette, opening Valentino’s show with a series of all black evening wear and tailored pieces – leather bustier dresses, slouchy suiting with a sparkle of sequin, a sheer plunging gown with tulle ruffles. Pierpaolo was preoccupied with the power of uniform, and the possibility of enhancing character by reducing the fashion silhouette. Leather, houndstooth and suiting shapes were borrowed from a stock menswear wardrobe, seductively offset with flashes of vibrant red – seen in a trenchcoat, a wide collared peacoat and a final high neck sequin gown glittering with paillettes.
Finishing touches: Feminine fluidity came in the naturalistic motifs on accessories. For A/W 2020, Valentino introduced bags festooned with 3D petals. These were contrasted with bovver boots (autumn’s most enduring stompy soled shoe – also see Versace, Prada and Issey Miyake), which accompanied both tailored daytime looks and eveningwear.
Best in show: An oversized double-breasted jacket in soft leather was fantastically fluid, while an opening cashmere coat tied with a narrow leather belt was comfort and luxury combined.
Valentino A/W 2020
Valentino A/W 2020
Valentino A/W 2020
Valentino A/W 2020
Valentino A/W 2020
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
-
A monumental exhibition of French design revives the spirit of art deco for contemporary timesThe Galerie des Gobelins hosts the inaugural Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, a contemporary movement inspired by art deco’s grand traditions
-
Sotheby’s is auctioning Mercedes Gleitze’s Channel-crossing RolexThe historic Rolex that started the sport-watch synergy is going under the hammer, amidst a contemporary boom in sporty-elegant timepieces
-
Inside Roger Vivier’s opulent new Paris HQ and archive, a haven for shoe loversWallpaper* takes a tour of ‘Maison Vivier’, an 18th-century hôtel particulier that houses the French shoemaker’s headquarters, studio and archive – an extraordinary collection of over 1,000 pairs of shoes
-
The key takeaways from the S/S 2026 shows: freedom, colour and romance define fashion’s new chapterWe unpack the trends and takeaways from the S/S 2026 season, which saw fashion embrace a fresh start with free-spirited collections and a bold exploration of colour and form
-
The independent designers you might have missed from fashion month S/S 2026Amid a tidal wave of big-house debuts, we take you through the independent displays that may have slipped through the cracks – from beautiful imagery to bookshop takeovers, museum displays and moves across the pond
-
From wearable skincare to scented runways, unpacking the unconventional beauty moments of fashion month S/S 2026The S/S 2026 season featured everything from probiotic-lined athleisure to fragranced runways – and those Maison Margiela mouthguards
-
Pierpaolo Piccioli makes Balenciaga debut ‘from a place of love and connection’Attended by Anne Hathaway and Meghan Markle, the ex-Valentino designer’s first runway display for Balenciaga took place within Kering’s Paris headquarters
-
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez make a bold start at Loewe, inspired by Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘elemental colours’The former Proenza Schouler designers presented their debut collection for Loewe this morning, channelling ‘clarity and colour, sensual physicality, and sunniness’
-
‘Change is inevitable’: Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior womenswear collection recodes the house’s archiveAn audacious collection from the Northern Irish designer, presented in Paris this afternoon, saw him reconsider the Dior archive in his unwaveringly inventive style
-
Acne Studios’ cigar salon runway set is decorated with Pacifico Silano’s homoerotic ‘objects of desire’Brooklyn-based artist Pacifico Silano breaks down his collaboration with Acne Studios, seeing his work – which zooms in on 1970s and 1980s gay erotica – backdrop the brand’s S/S 2026 show today in Paris
