PARIS, Jan 25, 2006/ FW/ --- When Shakespeare spoke of, ‘trifles light as air’, he didn’t have dressmaking in mind but, as some dismiss Haute Couture as a trifling affair, few could fail to be impressed by a show which was a lesson in the ephemeral nature of beauty.

Weightlessness seemed to be the watchword for a collection so fleeting and transient in its nature that ethereal gowns, light and airy, sometimes appeared to be hardly there at all.

This was a more understated version of the glamorous opulence for which Valentino is rightly credited as being a master of haute couture – the highest expression of his craft. The fabrics, colors and general feel were as subtle as they were sophisticated so the choice of the desert as setting was apt in that, as his roses glided down the runway, fragile and delicate in their purity, the effect was heightened by being contrasted with the harshness of an unforgiving sun.

The opening section was characterized by a simple strapless dress with a woven, sand colored bodice giving way to a body skimming silk chiffon skirt section high above the waist and finishing just above the knee.

The refined trademark embroidery capturing the essence of the collection perfectly in a tone-on-tone white, the dominant colour of the collection. In fact, amongst the discreet pastels of violet, lime and pink, only once did we see the bold red associated with Valentino in a long, capacious silk chiffon number.

Later we saw a variety of silhouettes with different forms and necklines, some pleated, some layered and others carrying floral motifs or ruffles. What united them all however was fluidity and the play between the lightness of silks and satin on one hand, and the ethereal character of organza or taffeta on the other.

With the skill in design and fabrication evident to all Valentino showed perfectly what, at a time when Haute Couture has a far from certain future, fashion, and indeed society, can’t afford to lose.

Valentino

Valentino

Valentino

Valentino