A designer's inspiration doesn't always come from an artist retrospective, a forgotten auteur film or a piece unearthed from the archives.
Sometimes, the idea can be born at home, in his hearth, by observing his family.
Like at Valentino, where it all starts with a tie picked up by his daughter in Pierpaolo Piccioli's dressing room.
“She got into the habit of borrowing my clothes from me
, says the artistic director of the Roman house after his winter 2024 parade, Sunday evening, at the Hôtel de Rothschild.
At first, it was my t-shirts or my sweatshirts, but recently she has set her sights on more formal pieces, like my jackets and my ties.
She wears them not to imitate me or dress up, she appropriates them.
It's fascinating that, for her, a tie is not the symbol of male domination, as it may have been for my generation, but becomes a new garment.
So, from this strip of fabric that men have been tying around their necks for decades, the Italian pulls off a feminine, cool, unbridled and ultimately very Valentino wardrobe.
From the first look (a black dress starting with a false white collar and a Windsor knot) to the last (a wide white shirt and a skirt with a train entirely embroidered with gradated silver sequins), this tie, often thin and black, is everywhere, but Piccioli certifies it:
"I wanted to go beyond the effect of style and reflect on the simplicity of its construction, its aesthetics, its form."
A shape that inspires stripes, optical blends, exquisite color-block silhouettes, airy shirt dresses and a series of small suits with killer boxy jackets and matching microshorts.
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He does not forget the ruffles, the roses in application, the big evening and the carmine red, signatures of the house of Valentino Garavani, since its creation in 1960. The 73 girls and boys pass by at a fast pace.
While at the last haute couture show the images of Kristen McMenamy falling from her too high heels made the rounds on social networks, this time the designer favored flat boots with thick soles.
Further accentuating this explosive contrast between masculine and feminine, sexy (transparent dresses and mini-shorts) and austerity (tailoring).
“This collection is a kind of uniform that you can arrange to your liking, like schoolchildren do.
I use the codes of the house, but bringing another look.
Even this idea of sensuality is an outdated idea.
Young people think more in terms of freedom, that of showing their body or covering it.
I want to celebrate it."
Respect for fauna and flora
“I would only travel on horseback if I had the choice,”
said Linda McCartney.
Her daughter Stella McCartney, an eco-friendly passionaria, was naturally inspired by an animal she knows well.
“My family has had a wonderful relationship with horses for a long time
,” she confides after her parade on Monday morning in the riding school at the Military School.
These animal connections are close to my heart, especially at a time when so much feather, fur and leather is being shown on the catwalk.
This collection shows that it is possible to do the same thing without killing living beings and without compromising on looks.
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Allure, there is, in these split skirt suits in woolen cloth in Prince of Wales or English checks, in his oversized officer's coats that lick the floor, these polo shirts slipped on thigh high boots or wide men's pleated trousers.
Tailoring with broad shoulders and a cinched waist clashes with asymmetrical dresses with plunging knitted necklines, vintage-style neo-nighties and slip dresses
in
chiffon patchwork, equestrian motifs and Pirulo-style sequins.
What he is doing is a miracle.
He gets so much from his animals, no whips or jerks
Stella McCartney
All made with respect for the fauna and flora.
The furs printed with appaloosa-style spots turn out to be thick curly wool.
The leather of the bags and shoes is vegan, made from waste apples, grapes and mushroom mycelium.
Cotton is regenerated, silk replaced by forest-friendly viscose.
Cherry on the cake
, in the background of this ultra-desirable wardrobe steeped in this
so British
love for the countryside and equestrian sports, a herd of wild horses gallop with their manes in the wind, under the discreet orders of Jean-François, a trainer that whispers in their ears.
"A few months ago, I discovered his show
," says Stella McCartney enthusiastically.
What he is doing is a miracle.
He gets so much from his animals, without whipping or jerking.
Earlier, I was watching them rehearse.
My dog doesn't stand up that long, even if I ask him nicely."