Black in the new PP Pink.
After drenching his runway in a patented magenta hue two years ago, Pierpaolo Piccioli launched an all-black collection for fall. Call it a sign of the times: The designer, like many these days, is feeling a little down about the state of the world, though he's looking for that silver lining.
“You have to be aware that you are in the darkness to look for the light, and that was my starting point,” he said in a preview, where he expounded on the power and versatility of fashion's favorite shade. “Black is interesting because it is the color of these times and it is very universal, but very individual.”
Linked with mourning and witchcraft, anarchy and rebellion, black also symbolizes elegance and power. Piccioli used it to explore the masculine-feminine duality that is a recurring theme in his work, through a new reading of the house codes of the 80s.
He subverted the sartorial power of that era by pairing a suit jacket with a sheer chiffon doll, or adding rose-shaped spirals of fabric to the sleeves of a sharp-shouldered microtunic dress, although a modern-day CEO You might as well opt for a structured cape over a chiffon bow blouse and baggy pants – power dressing in women's terms.
Offering a contemporary retelling of a 1981 Brooke Shields campaign, Piccioli added the brand's signature ruffles to a sheer blouse, worn with an A-line skirt and chunky biker boots, or light evening dresses that revealed as much as they concealed.
A patent leather duffle coat sparkled with rose appliqués, while an all-over sequined peacoat had pointed plastic fringes. Layers of dense decoration contrasted with the purity of day dresses with full skirts or a simple column of black velvet open at the neck and thigh.
“It is a new way to give relevance to Valentino's identity. “I see everywhere the same idea: quiet luxury,” Piccioli said. “I don't like this idea of conservatism, these reactionary thoughts about the past.”
With 60 looks, there was a lot of black, even for die-hard fans of the color (and certainly for Anna Wintour, who is famously averse to it).
But like staring at a Mark Rothko painting for a long time, the effect was hypnotic, helped by a swirling score by Alexandre Desplat, with samples of Sade and the allure of the models' elegant Marcel waves and black lipstick.
In a sense, the concept was a no-brainer. Selling racks of black clothing is much easier than convincing the world to wear fuchsia pink, which is sure to feel like a one-season wonder. This show may not sound the death of Barbiecore, but when in doubt, black is always a good idea.
