Glitzy Valentino show sees Paris Fashion Week at fever pitch
PARIS (AP) — Valentino’s Paris fashion show on Sunday saw snared lines of black cars dropping off battalions of celebrities who, amid the commotion, just couldn’t find the entrance.
Seated VIP guests were sweatily crammed in together inside the Le Marais venue, waiting as the show started an hour late. While outside, screaming members of the public braved the rain for hours just for a glimpse of their favorite stars, who included Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, Florence Pugh, Erykah Badu and Ashley Park.
Fever pitch like this at Paris ready-to-wear is reminiscent of the French capital’s pre-pandemic fashion scene — and one more visible sign the industry is buoyant again after the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are some highlights of Sunday’s spring-summer 2023 collections in Paris:
VALENTINO’S REVEAL
“Cuts and transparencies reveal the persona,” the brand said of designer Pierpaolo Piccioli’s glitzy spring collection that mixed gimmicks with moments of thoughtful fashion skill.
Models with faces and necks completely covered in disturbing interlocking “V” make-up began the show, introducing the theme of the reveal.
The exploration of inside-out or back-to-front continued in a beautiful nude skin-like top with matching nude pants speckled sparingly with diaphanous plumes on model Anna Cleveland.
A coat had ostrich feathers peaking out from inside through the hems. The sides of some dresses were scooped out, while a dazzling purple sequined floor-length gown revealed the model’s flesh only at the back.
Yet at times it felt as if the lauded Italian designer may have tried to fit too much in. By outfit number 91, it also felt exhausting -- with fashion insiders fidgeting for the show to wrap up.
The...