Opening with a sheer white tulle gown embroidered with a section of the musical score from “La Traviata,” Valentino for the set of its hauntingly beautiful opera-themed Spring-Summer 2014 haute couture collection called on Maurizio Varamo from the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma opera house in Rome, with the rich garments adding to the décor.
Moving between different weights of cloth — from wispy laces to cashmere to a wild cape of black feathers — a jungle story evoked the works of Giuseppe Verdi, Henry Purcell and Amilcare Ponchielli, with intarsia motifs of wild beasts on tailored wool coats and capes recalling the naïve, or primitive, jungle scenes of French artist Henri Rousseau. The spirit of Aida was conjured in a black and gold dress with jute fringing and a roaring lion across its front, and Elektra, by a starkly monastic slate gray dress.
Despite the serene beauty of the clothes, a melancholic, heart of darkness stirred. A dying white swan and a snake wrapped around dresses with distressed tutus, one an intense rust shade, inspired by Richard Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” And, embroidered on a gray tulle gown, a scene inspired by the works of Lucas Cranach depicted Adam passing an apple to Eve.
Told across 55 looks, the show managed not to look costumey despite its epic proportions, instead proffering one-of-a-kind works of art that could look just as good on a museum wall. Valentino remains one of the few houses whose poetic resonance and formidable level of craftsmanship, under the helm of design duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, keeps the flame burning for the good old days of couture.
