Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Pierpaolo Piccioli zeroed in on the Amish as a source of inspiration. There’s no denying they work a look, anchored in modesty and uniformity, which are two ideas that certainly cross over into the Piccioli’s cannon of dresses with high necklines and long sleeves. The Amish culture of tradition and handcraft also dovetails nicely. So, for Red Valentino’s fall collection, Piccioli worked quilting details, such as folk micro floral prints, and swirling black Fraktur-inspired appliqué onto coats and dresses. Chic austerity came in sober tailored pieces — a shirtdress, a coat — that had non-secular appeal but could also probably serve a progressive Amish gal without getting her in trouble.
As the house’s most accessible collection, Red has commercial obligations to fulfill. They came via super wide-leg jeans, sweet micro floral sweaters with gentle ruffled high-collars, and a host of items that delivered some of Valentino’s greatest hits — mystical eye embroideries; filmy takes on the signature dress silhouettes — in crowd-pleasing ways.