Valentino Pre-Fall 2024
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s work is inextricably intertwined to the cultural context: Few designers in Italy have been as active and vocal as the Valentino creative director in repeatedly addressing social issues — especially on social media — and turning collections into another platform to fuel the conversation around them and to challenge perceptions.
But unfortunately changes in society are not as kinetic as those in fashion. If the short proportions and revealing cutout dresses of the Valentino spring 2024 collection presented in October were in part a response to a wave of violence against women in Italy and to those shifting the blame for attacks onto the victims, the brand’s pre-fall 2024 lineup was presented on the tail of another murder that dominated the headlines and ignited the debate around the local patriarchal mentality, which Piccioli addressed in a recent Instagram post, too.
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Fashion-wise, in his latest effort the designer made a point of staying away from any “aesthetic dictatorship,” which is “against that freedom of expression that now more than ever needs to be safeguarded, especially for women,” he said during a walk-through in Milan.
This approach was translated into a vast and refined pre-collection skewed more toward offering wardrobe builders that could be mixed and matched according to women’s individual choices rather than imposing ensembles. As Piccioli additionally noted “the current need for more grace and gentleness” overall, he aimed at elevating ordinary staples to special pieces through craftsmanship, paying extra attention to garment construction, embroideries, appliqués and lacework.
“For me it’s important to keep the sense of authenticity of clothes and of everyday reality, but [seen] through a gentler, more romantic filter,” he said.
Balancing pragmatism with decorative flourishes, Piccioli paired navy peacoats with delicate ruffled skirts; upgraded the familiar look of sailor stripes with crystal embellishments; cut oversize T-shirts in satin and zhuzhed them up with feathers; revisited Bermuda shorts via lace or sizzling embroideries; and nonchalantly layered comfy hoodies with luxe capes. All the while, Piccioli frequently grounded looks with flats and anchored them with new bags that also mirrored his soft approach with their supple leather constructions or more sinuous shapes.
Recurring Valentino motifs, such as the scalloped lines seen on an array of girly short dresses and rose appliqués blooming on leather frocks, and stunning diaphanous evening gowns made for the most feminine and elaborated part of the collection. Yet there was equal charm in the way Piccioli played with deceptive simplicity in double cotton shirts and alternatives lined with organza for the sake of reaching the perfect fit and structure.
Keeping fabrics tony, Piccioli also indulged into impeccable tailoring, matching blazers with Bermuda shorts or reinterpreting a mannish sartorial coat with a feminine hourglass shape “as I believe bodies should be celebrated in their differences,” he said.
In the same vein, bows sweetened sharp grey coats or a yellow duffle coat, while a white cape with a V-logo buckle encapsulated the brand’s elegant essence with its purity of lines and proportions. For those seeking a dash of eccentricity, coats covered in prints recalling Valentino’s archival furs offered a contemporary take on the vintage items, more attuned with current times.
“That idea of show-off luxury is gone. Now ethics count much more, it’s much more luxe,” Piccioli said. “At the end of the day, you desire what you know and here we’re just showing it under another [guise].”
Launch Gallery: Valentino Pre-Fall 2024
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