Simply Abu Dhabi XXX

VALENTINO A sporty, young and street mood was chosen by Pierpaolo Piccioli’s spring/summer 2018 collection. Luxury sportswear lends the whole collection a sense of freedom. Coats, gym trousers embellished by tailored details, jumpers, biker jackets, sailing/marine coats were a major part of the collection. Sneakers were reinterpreted as a more streetwise and sporty style with each pair having its own collage of multicoloured knitted textile and appliqué, making them eye catching. Little mandalas are a wonderful touch, like Eastern lucky charms hanging on loose and comfy pants. There is folk and tribal embroidery beading, cross- stitch, mirrored hand work from Africa, Central America, eastern Europe and Native American crafts that embellish and adorn all the collection. Across the entire show there wasn’t a defined formal wear range or a dress code, but rather everything was relaxed with a spirit of freedom, suggesting the new Valentino man himself is not obsessed with formality or with what he wears in the morning. The new Valentino VLTN logo was much- admired and discussed by international fashionistas. It is, in fact, not a brand-new logo but a Valentino classic once used in the 80s. On t-shirts and white scarves, this new symbol for the Italian fashion house is a statement not only of change but also of recognition. A new logo stands for a new creative dimension and Pierpaolo seems to have found it. Conceptual, fluid and liberated, the Valentino man strolls in his city wearing long, flowing clothes, more than likely accompanied by signature Valentino studded bag.