Valentino haute couture spring 2018

It’s clear to me that this collection was meant to be a departure for the designer and brand  but sadly it turned out to be more of a fashion parody rather than a serious fashion statement.

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First the positives... some amazing color combinations and a few ….  Very few... Beautiful pieces

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Then of course we come to the boners of which there many... let me count the ways... Let’s talk about fabulously over the top and absurd 50’s feathered pancake hats by Philip Treacy that stood on their own and yet looked as if the model was dressed by a child playing dress up; made no sense with the clothes.  Then we come to what was supposedly, I think, day wear, I can’t really be sure what some of it was and why. Then we can address the sheer black hose which I loved except they really they didn’t have to be on every single model. Of course there were the pieces that looked as if they were a joke as in a caricature of grand entrance making gowns ala Scaasi or vintage Oscar; some of them actually looked more at home at a Viktor & Rolf presentation. Lastly there were these oddly chosen prints which no matter the designer are always a sketchy situation because they are so so personal. Lest I forget paper bag waists from Isaac Mizrahi!! Really a lot of the looks appeared as if it designed by Rosie Assoulin… 

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The bottom line is simply... What was the point of all this... every so often there was a lapse back into those monastic looks that sadly have become so much a part of the brand and now that I think of it Pier Paolo’s former design partner showed far more transparency and Valentino looking pieces than he did … I just get the idea these 2 are very confused and that this collection was filled with distractions and references that divert your attention away from the fact that there was nothing really great here other than the shock and awe.

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