Valentino's Gentle Orientalism
By Karl Treacy
(Photo by Gruber-FWD)
PARIS, Jan 22, 2003/ FWD/ --- Gentle layering of cheongsam tunics over silk pants, and ikat
and paisley prints on coats - showing his spring 2003 couture collection last Monday in the
Theatre National de Chaillot Valentino caught a whiff of the Orient.
Channeling a sleeker, moneyed version of Suzy Wong and mixing her up with a glitzy diva,
the Italian couturier's collection was hardly a vintage offering but gave plenty of choice
for the traditional Valentino clients peppering the front row.
Joan Collins' husband Percy Gibson, who unfortunately doesn't share the same first class
prestige as his famous wife, got bumped back to coach though.
From her front-row vantage point, Joan watched the proceedings open with flirty white wool
crepe day dresses that kicked and swung flirtily with satin inserts in their flaring hems.
Developing a love for these flaring inserts, Valentino added them to the ends of fluid
trousers, but didn't need to stick them on the back of jackets.
Mixed with ultra-vamp looks like a white crocodile skirt suit or a scoop-front pink suit
held together by diamante lacing - an element that cropped up repeatedly - were more sedate,
prim looks like loose coats with rounded shoulders, bracelet-length sleeves and pleated
satin trims.
Eastern influences crept in in the shape of little embroidered silk purses or panels on
a long coat in tone-on-tone paisley embroidery.
That print style, along with delicate ikat prints, popped up on everything from coats to
sweeping ball gowns in stiff, gathered taffeta.
If some pieces seemed a bit heavy - and cigarette pants in shantung that stopped just above
the ankle struck an aging and jarring note - then it was after the sun sets that Valentino's
strengths took flight.
From something as effortlessly simple as a crystal-embroidered sheer cheongsam over
flaring, fluid pants to a satin sheath with inserted strands of cascading crystal strings,
evening time was when Valentino both shone and sparkled with a sure hand.
Sitting opposite this writer one excited client grabbed her neighbor as a spectacular
glittering column sashayed by and pointed, "That's it! That's it!"
It seems that the Valentino client is seduced by the same thing as the rest of us -
an outfit that stops traffic.
They'll surely find some here.
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