“You have given women back their beauty,” - were the words Celine Dion applauded designer Pierpaolo Piccioli with after his Valentino Haute Couture spring-summer 2019 runway show came to a close. The designer received another standing ovation for a collection anchored in a celebration of colour; alluding to both clothing and skin.
Naomi Campbell closed the show wearing an all black sheer and taffeta gown and backstage the designer alluded towards icons such as Eartha Kitt and Beverly Johnson as his inspirations. The entire collection is fuelled by heady ink tones and implosions of energetic palettes, and a diverse line-up of models only made the spectrum of colour sing that much louder. Silhouettes feel similar to Picciolo's spring-summer Haute Couture collection for the house - billowing, romantic, excessive and achingly beautiful. This is couture with a modern day message, but the beauty and magnificence of yesteryear.
