Always looking forward to Valentino’s haute couture collection, the extravagant and romantic creations never fail to captivate in the fashion world constructed by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. This time, the brand presents the 2020/21 autumn/winter haute couture collection “Of Grace and Light,” which not only showcases the usual grandeur but also demonstrates breakthroughs that are difficult to describe in words, both in terms of the clothing itself and the presentation.
Pierpaolo Piccioli quoted Italian poet Pier Paolo Pasolini’s poem to conclude this haute couture series: “We don’t want to be already without dreams.” The pandemic has brought unprecedented impacts, causing many things to come to a standstill, and daily life to deviate from its normal course. Piccioli knew as early as March that he couldn’t hold a traditional haute couture show, but he didn’t want to compromise. He refused to be bound by the pandemic; instead, he felt it was necessary to overcome the obstacles brought by the pandemic and leave behind some impressive and profound works.
Since we can’t play by the rules, why not take this opportunity to turn this “dream” into “reality”? Previously, Piccioli had revealed his desire to combine digital and fashion, and now he has turned the epidemic into an opportunity to fulfill his dream, carefully crafting this dreamy fashion collection for months.
The series release is divided into two parts, namely videos and live performances. Piccioli stated that he belongs to the fashion world, and digital technology is not his expertise, so he invited the photography master Nick Knight to collaborate. The reason for choosing Nick Knight to produce the video is because Piccioli feels that his visual language tends to be “cool-toned,” hoping to blend it with the warm and passionate fashion world to spark a different kind of fire.
The entire series is entirely made of pure white fabrics, expressing the most original, unpolished state, and presenting the image of a dream “prototype.” The 16 pristine gowns in the video transform into canvases, projecting images of flowers, birds, lines, etc., intertwining light and shadow to create a romantic and dreamy scene. Paired with the three-dimensional tailoring and sequins of the clothing itself, along with FKA Twigs’ psychedelic and lazy vocals, the audience is immersed in this visual and auditory feast. It is also worth noting that intentional “noise” is added to the video, highlighting the anxiety often present in the digital age, allowing viewers to reflect while enjoying fashion.
Piccioli hopes to allow the audience to appreciate the series from a different perspective, so he also organized a live performance. The choice of venue was well thought out, as he believes that the Cinecittà Studios in Rome is a place where dreamers can dream freely and dreams come true, making it the perfect setting to showcase this “dreamy” collection. Models transformed into “giant angels,” wearing extra-long gowns that shimmered in the darkness, allowing everyone to see the details of the clothing more clearly. The pure white chiffon and organza flowed elegantly, complemented by iconic feather elements, embroidery, silver sequins, and bubble sleeves, pleats, and layered cuts, all in a unified white tone that still created a rich and unbelievably beautiful visual.
Thank you Pierpaolo Piccioli for persisting in dreaming during this difficult time, which has brought such a wonderful fashion collection; also thank you for reminding everyone to keep dreaming no matter how the world changes.
圖片及影片來源： @maisonvalentino , @pppiccioli , Valentino @ YouTube , Vogue Runway
