Pierpaolo Piccioli’s use of colour is debated every single time a Valentino collection debuts. It’s impossible not to bring it up; besides fashion, colour is the Italian designer’s medium. This season, Piccioli made a statement. Colour was absent, but in its place, a sea of black inundated the runway. Appropriately named “Le Noir,” the decision to scrap his idiosyncratic use of vibrant hues came from a Charles Baudelaire quote that reads: “Black is the uniform of democracy.”
For Piccioli, black was a blank canvas. Restricted from using colours to tell a story, the designer did so through textures, transparencies, and shapes. Speaking of, there was hardly a silhouette Piccioli left untouched. Everything from flowy gowns to structured hoodies was subject to his exploration. The show started with sweet mini dresses that, despite their angular shoulders, swayed daintily as the models walked.
Similarly, different textures paraded down the runway with not much else in common but their colour and Valentino's characteristic elegance. A thick vinyl coat was followed by joyful tulle skirts. Shiny fringed skirts juxtaposed laser-cut floral dresses. The collection ended with an array of sheer gowns, the last one being a particular standout — a transparent halter-neck dress covered the model's naked body in delicate flowers. Piccioli proves he doesn’t need colour to make a successful collection; if anything, colour needs him.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
