Fashion is a dream for many — it's a loud externalized form of self-expression. For Italian fashion house Valentino's spring 2020 haute couture collection, staged in Beijing, China, it's a dream just to take an inclusive look at the brand's DNA. “Today, Valentino — especially for young customers like in China — is daywear and streetwear,” Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli explained to Vogue.
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“That’s great to get the brand alive and to face reality, but I also like the idea of the extravagance and boldness and uniqueness of the couture,” he explained. “Today, Valentino is streetwear and couture, and the two work together to create a new way of being.” According to Piccioli, modernity is about a high-low, present, and past, when it comes to both couture and streetwear. "All treated with the same sensibility, the same kind of daring and fantasy,” he continued.
Specifically, Piccioli uses symbols, colors, and decorations melded together as the Italian spirit of the Renaissance meets the opulence of the Chinese splendor. According to a press release, “the daydream is an emotional detour that opens up possibilities in the name of beauty, seen as a conduit for values, cultures, personalities, and myths. Preciousness keeps it all together, as the pureness of the volumes is amplified by the richness of the surfaces and the reds, golds, emerald greens, pinks, whites, and blacks combine in a soigné palette that reconnects Italian painting with Chinese art.”
As a thank you for bringing his dream to life, Vogue notes Piccioli celebrated the Valentino haute couture craftspeople behind the project. “The run of show noted the names of all those who had worked on the respective garments, along with some salient details, facts, and figures laid down in print that take the breath away.” A dream, indeed.
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