Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

PARIS HAUTE COUTURE: A S p r i n g / S u mm e r r e n d e z v o u s – t h e H a u t e C o u t u r e C o l l e c t i o n s . by Ivan Allegranti VALENTINO As in the past, Valentino presented its haute couture collection at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild in Paris, one of the most exclusive hotels of the French capital. But this time, the show set was different from what you may expect from a runway set, where there is usually the catwalk and many narrow rows of seating. Here there were white and beige soft couches and chairs in which guests could sit to enjoy the show. In fact, it was reminiscent of the old 1950s haute couture salons in which models walked through without any sound and where clients, in an intimate space, could observe and concentrate on all the details of the dresses. For this Spring/Summer Haute Couture collection, Pier Paolo Piccioli, Valentino’s creative director, was inspired by the spirit and history of haute couture. What is haute couture’s relationship with the present day? How do we gauge the evolving relevance of haute couture today? And does couture still have a meaning in our modern social life? These were the questions that Piccioli tried to answer in the collection. The Italian designer expressed the contemporary values of haute couture by mixing in the atelier’s craftsmanship and knowledge with everyday essentials such as chinos or the trench. Floral motifs in long dresses and gowns were enchanted by Andrea Pontormo’s soft but impactful colour palette and by the plays of taffetas and moiré, which were a strong point in the collection. The collection was also characterised by curvy lines but with a sober and rigid silhouette. The hats, created by Philip Treacy, were made with feathers and recalled times that may never come back. This collection was actually a love letter made by Pier Paolo Piccioli to those grandiose times when haute couture was a way of being. Those times may have passed but Valentino can still make you dream of them.