A crisp techno soundtrack — and a barrel full of crystals — accompanied Giambattista Valli as he stretched his flower-festooned couture into slicker, showier fashion territory.
He got off to a rocky start with ruffles shaved into half-spheres that strangled hips, and, in one instance, crept up over a model’s back. And then — poof — the poufs were gone and sleeker shapes took over: Lean tunic-and-pants combos, clean-lined collarless coats — also shown with slim or gently flaring pants — and short shift dresses with a bit of flare. These became canvases for intense and varied surface decoration, from tiers of silver fringe to fluffs of ostrich feathers clustered around the hips.
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Marking 10 years with his independent fashion house, Valli has staked a claim on polished party clothes, often rooted in the couture of the Sixties and Seventies and embellished to the hilt with ruffles, elaborate tapestry prints, 3-D petals and vine embroideries. This collection had a slightly more modernist sheen in the variety of silhouettes, the gleaming and twinkling surfaces, and the occasional accents of artificial color — vivid greens, cool blues and oranges — as foils to the white and black. Oversize round sunglasses, each lens affixed with a chunky crystal, added to the icy allure as models zigzagged a black-and-white carpet in sparkly platform sandals.
Valli didn’t add much to the daywear discussion — a limited subject so far this couture season — and indulged himself with a finale of outsize ballgowns with undulating, trailing hems of tulle ruffles. Marvels of construction, they didn’t exactly glide over the rug, giving the models some serious cardio training. Sasha Pivovarova looked out of breath by the time she traversed the vast room at the Grand Palais.
After the show, Valli and his society-heavy following repaired to the Opera Garnier for a “Flower Obsession Ball,” cohosted by MAC Cosmetics to celebrate their collaboration on a new color collection.