Maison Valentino is celebrated for its codes. Under Pier Paolo Piccioli, the 62-year-old Italian fashion house has become known for building energetic colour palettes, sometimes contrary to contemporary tastes and other times complimentary to cultural sentiments. After the pandemic, Piccioli showcased Valentino Pink, which redefined our understanding of monochromatic dressing just as it injected the zeitgeist with much-needed enthusiasm. It is this same confidence that spurred Yves Saint Laurent’s preference for jewel tones between 1968 and 1970, a period in Paris filled with social and political unrest.

Valentino’s Spring Summer Couture collection, dubbed ‘Le Salon’ and held at Place Vedôme on January 25, opened to an abundance of pinks (old rose, candy, and cerise), before progressing to cooler greens (Kelly and chartreuse) and yellow accents, during which a marigold parka proved that outerwear and couture could hitch.

One sherbet-pink sleeveless vest took 415 hours to construct by hand. Other couture applications included marabou feathers sewn delicately around trouser waists and three-dimensional tinsel-treated jackets and coats. The jewellery to accompany the collection was minimal, with chokers, large sculptural earrings and bracelets looking like they had been taken from one of premier director Federico Fellini’s characters in Satyricon.

While there is a profound difference between couture and prêt-à-porter, Piccioli appears to be offering a more casual proposition in this collection:'real' silhouettes that are perfectly handcrafted and truly one-of-a-kind. Examples include a parka with a hand-sewn fur trim, reminiscent of Queen Fabiola of Belgium’s wedding dress, and an orange four-pocketed utility jacket paired with a voluminous A-line skirt in eggplant purple. Like the luxury sector, which is engineered to offer elevated alternatives for everyday pieces, Valentino’s couture might just be offering an opulent version of luxury. “A modern wardrobe—clothes for our times.” Our fashion spheres collide!