If you're a fashion lover who's had it up to here with the industry's current fixation on athleisure, streetwear, logomania, merch and all things millennial-inspired, you are certainly not alone. While there's nothing wrong with investing in well-made, practical, seasonless clothing — or the occasional trendy piece emblazoned with a super-hyped brand name — many everyday staples can start to feel monotonous, especially when one label after another continues to turn out collections of hoodies, denim and sneakers. Where's the fantasy gone? Isn't fashion supposed to be fun, even if you're just heading out to run a quick errand or have a quiet dinner with friends?
Valentino's Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli surely had this question in mind while designing his fantastic Spring 2018 collection. According to the show notes, he believes that fashion's main function is to "make the ordinary extraordinary," and he did just that with his lovely showing in Paris on Sunday evening. Utilitarian pieces you might not expect from the Italian house — anoraks, rain slickers, army jackets, coveralls — were given a glamorous makeover, thanks to a feminine color palette, loads of sparkling paillettes and embroideries, artful layering and oversize bows or ruffles.
