Aphrodite herself might murmur a polite little “Holy shit” if she saw the Valentino Spring 2016 couture collection.
Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, the collection was inspired by Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny and dancers Isadora Duncan (who wore his designs) and Martha Graham; Fortuny was known for the finely pleated Delphos gown, modeled after classical Greek garments. The effect of Chiuri and Piccioli’s creations, down to the footwear, is soft and easy—a trick of the eye, of course, as this is couture (one of the gowns took 1,300 hours to make).
The entire thing is a slam dunk, but here are some of my favorites:
The rich reds, yellows, and greens, when deployed, are deftly maneuvered alongside paler, more natural hues; the textures begin as gossamer-thin draped delicacies, with the gentle, iconic pleating later morphing into more intricate meshes and brocades.
This one, below, is incredibly eye-catching—personally, I’m a sucker for pleats, and this melon-y burst of yellow is fantastic (and please enjoy the close-up view of these awesomely mystical gold snake headpieces):
This one is also very dreamy:
And this sinuous green velvet brocade, shown up top, definitely deserves a closer look:
Watch an edited version of the show in the video below, via the Associated Press, to get the full effect.
