Valentino Fall 2015

Closing one’s runway show with a faux-walkoff of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in full Zoolander form, to officially announce the upcoming release (next spring) of Zoolander 2? Brilliant. The beautiful collection that preceded the funny finale? Even more brilliant. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were inspired by a duo of femmes this season: Emilie Louise Flöge, Gustav Klimt’s frequent subject and companion, plus Ossie Clark’s wife, Celia Birtwell. The resulting collection included crisp B&W graphics to open the show, delicate lace stitched together in chevron-like patterns, myriad sheer gowns exquisitely embroidered with everything from flora to celestial motifs. More minimalist options included a series of monotone black or white looks with constrastive trim, which looked especially elegant in white. The maison‘s impeccable craftsmanship really showed on the fur-, feather-, and leather-festooned pieces, while the transparent tiered tulle numbers were incredibly playful. Good luck picking a favorite look, darlings…