23 January 2024 |
There are some haute couture collections that really know how to prick your appetite and this season, Giambattista Valli served (and left no crumbs). Pumped full with drastic romanticism, the Italian designer sent a sea of voluminous fabrics down the runway during his Paris Haute Couture slot. The looks loosely echoed ’80s prom dresses interspersed with gothic edits.
Silhouettes were dramatic and demanded attention as onlookers gorged on a nourishing, Giambattista-classic diet of taffeta, pussybows and florals, with trains built for sweeping out of rooms in dramatic fashion – just how we like it. An unsuspecting edge came in the form of bum-grazing bodices and angular collars. Sleeves and hips took their form from blooming flowers, swelling and falling without containment. Closing the show was a bridal look, emanating both the perceived innocence and unspoken secrecy of a bride wearing white.
Models had their hair slicked back, topped with wide black bows and bouquets of white roses. Sharp black eyeliner signalled to attendees that the Giambattista Valli woman is not to be tussled with.
Photography courtesy of Giambattista Valli.
