Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Valentino pre-fall 2013



I fully understand that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli have re-imagined what Valentino is to look like for the 21st century but do they have to show it this way?  The ghost like wan faces of these waifs who appear to be other worldly and ashen do not add any luster to these clothes.





Yes, the clothes have the spirit of Valentino but they sure do lack the sparkle, drama and pizzazz that its namesake designer imbued into every collection.  The clothes come off very 2 dimensional, flat and almost lifeless which is very unfortunate as I continually read how this design duo is trying to use more couture techniques with each collection. 

I realize I just said they have the spirit of Valentino but hell, what exactly are they thinking to show patent leather dresses which if styled a bit differently might turn up on the pages of a fetish magazine.  How does one show all white on these unmade up stiff as a board models?  How can almost every single piece of this huge collection look so straight up and down?  Ms. Chiuri and Mr. Piccioli need to visit the archive and study how not to make a ruffle look like it is erect.  The femininity that was once integral to the Valentino collections has been swapped for an almost genderless kind of appeal with an emphasis on the matronly with that below the knee length.  Can I also mention the appearance that the clothes all look high waisted and using fur does not make a collection look rich!

Well all I can say is that certain critics refer to these as resuscitating the eponymous collection when all I can think presently is “get the paddles and stand back!”

All of this being said, I do need to say that there are some pretty clothes here …  if you can stay awake to see them. It is also time to ditch those sissy missy looks and recall what lush and extravagant mean in terms of this collection.

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