Valentino’s Narratives: An untold love story
The Valentino Menswear SS23 Show debuted at the Università degli Studi di Milano Statale as a tribute to local designers and younger generations.
Creative Director Pierpaolo Picciolio chose the venue specifically as a homage to Valentino’s unwavering support for emerging talent. During a time when the university is swarming with students, the Valentino show acts as an open invitation and immersive experience for students to see it, reports VMAN. This was the idea of Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli for the opening day of Milan Fashion Week.
The Narratives collection aims to deconstruct the concept of masculinity. Opening the show with white as a ruling colour on the garments. Monochrome colour palettes followed shortly after, with some of the attire consisting of earthy nudes and bright blues & greens accentuating the looks. The utilitarian look of the models emphasised minimalist practicality in a contemporary way, introducing feminine aspects in the detailing of the pockets of the blazers. The bags were a central focus accentuating the reconstruction of the masculine agenda in fashion. Practical and chic.
The Valentino House recently launched the Maison Valentino Essentials. This new collection continues to build on the importance of the brand, reconsidering the traditional rules and limitations of menswear fashion.
Context: The new campaign launched with love as the central theme — universal love to be exact. Delving into the literary world for their advertising campaign, Valentino emphasises the importance of text being a seminal predisposition for many. Discovering the different fragments of this expression, Valentino has stuck true to their devotion to arts and culture by including texts from a variety of world-renowned authors and writers.
These literary offerings, telling of love in all forms and expressions, are written by queer activist Alok Vaid-Menon, philosopher Amia Srinivasan, New York Times bestseller Brit Bennett, and 14 other authors and writers. Each written contribution is personalised through literal matchmaking, emphasising the enigmatic emotion that is love.
