Paris fashion week saw Italian couturier Giambattista Valli, renowned worldwide for his voluminous tulle gowns and encapsulation of feminine style, showcase his highly anticipated Spring/Summer 2023 Ready to Wear collection. Ever since his debut in 2005, Valli’s designs have become distinctively recognisable through his perfectly balanced combination of Italian romance and Parisian glamour, and this assortment is no exception. Last year we were overwhelmed with ruffled evening dresses and jacquard suits, a result of our post- pandemic desire to delve into avant-garde occasion wear; this season Valli unveiled an uplifting spring colour palette, in the form of translucent organza mini dresses and whimsically draped skirts.
A subtle contrast to his Fall 2021 location of the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, the show took place in an empty former department store adjacent to the Arc De Triomphe, foreshadowing Valli’s intentions of filling the room with emotion through the eminent vibrancy and cultural celebration implemented through the entire collection. Melodious classical music was played in the background, lining the ambience with serenity, whilst simultaneously fulfilling Valli’s desire to create a prevalent feeling of nostalgia.
Amongst those sat in front row included model Paris Jackson and actress Kiernan Shipka, who both commented on how incredibly relieved they were to see Valli’s vibrant colours for the Spring season, following several abnormally monochrome collections over the course of the week.
The inspiration for this romantic and versatile collection was derived from Valli’s collection of miniature Indian paintings, which led him to incorporating traditional Indian cultural elements to elevate his ensembles, including the jewel Bindis and Suhana earrings. Through the creation of this collection, Valli intended to artistically express his notion that women should have no restrictive boundaries when embracing fashion from different cultures. Despite his ambitions of empowering women, Valli’s approach of taking the traditional Bindi head decoration and implementing it into a collection as a fashion statement could be perceived as significantly damaging, due to the potential detriment caused by cultural appropriation.
Referencing back to Valli’s Italian heritage, the collection is also heavily influenced by Roman aristocracy, demonstrated via the prevalence of the gladiator sandals and continuous draping. Valli is notorious for bringing vintage styles back to life in a contemporary manner, and the Spring/Summer collection manifests this attribute. The Roman theme is emphasised throughout the collection, with ravishing roseate pink halter neck gowns and fanciful cross ruched chiffon skirts.
In the very first look, Valli made a distinctive visual reference to the palace of Versailles, in the form of an ivory boucle bralette with gold braided detailing alongside a matching A - line boucle mini skirt. A plethora of the collection refers to classic Parisian decoration, with floral prints resembling vintage French wallpaper and endless olive-green colouring depicting the picturesque view of palatial gardens.
Valli utilised sheer tulle and organza in the creation of a vast number of garments featured within the assortment, to communicate the newly adopted nomadic spirit of “His Woman”, simultaneously remaining considerate of the areas of her body she desires to display of course. Just one example is look 23, which features a daringly sheer tulle maxi dress adorned with floral embroidery cascading from the bodice to the skirt, with black briefs underneath protecting the model’s dignity. This design reappears as a fuller yet lightweight organza skirt in look 27 with gold detailing emphasising the waistline, layered over a black and white halter neck swimsuit showcasing its suitability for vacations in warmer months ahead. The substantial number of translucent garments incorporated into Valli’s collection act as a testimonial to the risqué trend, with the most prominent example being Kate Moss’ iconic metallic slip dress worn in 1993.
The standout piece was undoubtedly his flamboyant lemon-yellow gown featured in look 36, characterised by its full pleated hoop skirt, perfectly complementing the triangular empire waist and Grecian style halter neckline. It fortified Valli’s focus upon evoking emotion through colour this season, by designing garments that are bright without being overly extreme. The multitude of Spring colours identifiable throughout the collection symbolise Valli calling back to the era of romanticism, also detectable through the various antique prints seen on dresses and skirts that exude feelings of sentimentality.
The show concluded with an exquisite tulle floor length gown combining all the attributes, solitarily communicating the meaning behind Valli’s collection. Iridescent gold metallic detailing trickled from the bodice to the mid length of the skirt, alluding to Valli’s inspiration derived from the palace of Versailles. Simultaneously, the fairy tale – esque turquoise tulle skirt contributed to the vast colour palette recognised throughout the collection. Valli’s finishing touches to the ensemble included a glistening gold braided rope detail from the hollow of the neck crossing down to the waist, alongside jewel gladiator sandals to elevate the look, both of which can be linked to historic Roman aristocratic fashion.
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