"Unboxing Valentino" SS23 Served Minimal Maximalism and Maximal Minimalism
Proving Pierpaolo Piccioli can do both.
After last season’s punch of pink, Pierpaolo Piccioli returns to Paris Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2023 with “Unboxing Valentino.”
With this, Valentino looks towards purity, subtracting the unnecessary to focus on only the essentials, thus entering a more minimal era. This was down the last detail, as a charming warehouse fit with ornate metalwork was redone with a black floor and black benches, press releases, and invites were presented in simple black boxes, and the welcoming audio was akin to a dripping tap.
In a co-ed show, Valentino did indeed take a more minimal approach to construction — but definitely not print. With the house monogram touching almost everything, coats with trains flooded the runway while other dresses, and coats trimmed with individually placed feathers (something we might have seen at another major fashion house a few seasons ago), picked up the pace with their joyous aesthetic. Womenswear looks — like a fully embellished number — were translated into menswear via shorts and a tee, the crystals jingling along the FROW.
Tailoring was Valentino’s strong point; car coats cut from nylon with deep V pleats on the rear, boxy and oversized double-breasted blazers, boiler suits with crimped waistbands and hems, a tech jacket in black — they all came in one motion, before a stunning sparkling pink suit, a blazer cape, and a dazzling purple dress made their impact.
Minimal might not be the first word you’d use to describe this collection, but indeed it is all in the finest of details. There’s a tidiness to it all, the way things sit and fall are precise, flattering in their silhouettes.
But for most showgoers, the maximal designs really shone. Perhaps it was these garments’ light against the subdued minimalism that made them stand out, but when Valentino added sparkle and jewels it translated into audience appraisal. Yet, with that being said, a closing look of a grand black dress, structured with a train and a gorgeous proportion, proved the house can do minimal just as well.
Concluding with models walking out of the building and onto the street, “Unboxing Valentino” was a show of two components: minimalism with a maximal touch, and maximalism, refined. Take a look at the collection above, and find more Paris Fashion Week SS23 content across Hypebeast.
In other news, Ye will debut YEEZY SEASON 9 in Paris tomorrow.
