Photo: Imaxtree
Back in 1957, Kay Thompson (as Maggie Prescott, editor of Quality fashion magazine) put one well-heeled foot down and issued the edict to "Think Pink!" in arguably the most enduring song from the Audrey Hepburn film "Funny Face." A chorus of girls chime in to list off the things which should be pink: shoes, bags, gloves, hose, shampoo, even the kitchen sink. There's nothing a person can own that shouldn't be doused in the color.
Now, some 60-odd years later, it seems Pierpaolo Piccioli is putting his rubber stamp on the "Think Pink!" ideology with his Fall 2022 collection at Valentino.
Like Thompson, Piccioli left no stone un-pinked on the runway, from the catwalk to the walls and nearly every look; even house muse Zendaya was in on the action, wearing an outfit from the collection to sit front row. But where Thompson's pink was a demure, ladylike pastel shade, Piccioli's pink is daring and modern, an eye-searing highlighter tone that commands attention. (It must be said, though, that the name of the collection — Pink PP — does inspire some childish giggling from folks lacking in maturity. Not me, of course. Just...some people.)
Designers have often turned to monochromatic collections, which are all the better for showing off the work they and their ateliers can do just with silhouette and craftsmanship, but rarely is it done in such a statement-making color. For Fall 2022, there are many of the same signatures Piccioli has created as his own at the house— sculptural necklines, sharply-tailored outerwear, oversized knits, laser-cut laces — but the proportions get blown up: The Roman Stud on a bag is now just one giant pyramid at the clasp rather than tiny accents scattered all over, boots are platform-height, pants are slung low at the waist and billowing in the leg.
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In the middle came a suite of all-black looks, a trick he's pulled on runways before. It gave the eyes a break and enabled some of the finer details to pop, like delicate folding on chiffon dresses and draping on sequined tops. Oversized ruffles frame the jawline and ring the wrist.
But then it was back to the pink for the kind of showstopper finale looks Piccioli is known for: a sequined minidress decorated with flowers, a feathered coat, a bell-shaped ballgown. Kristen McMenamy closed the show in a jaw-droppingly gorgeous chiffon number complete with a train trailing behind her, shoulders draped at precisely the right crop to hit the tops of her opera-length gloves.
It's the kind of beauty that almost hurts to look at for too long. But whether just through the pop of an accessory or the commitment of a head-to-toe look, the Valentino customer will surely be more than happy to think pink come fall.
See the complete Valentino Fall 2022 collection in the gallery below:
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