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Spring 2014 had a neat concept: 55 looks for 55 operas. The designers had fallen for the scenery workshops of the Rome Opera, and its scenic artists painted the salons of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild into a jungle of tigers, birds of paradise and butterflies.
The opening dress had the score of Verdi’s La Traviata embroidered across a long, parchment-coloured tulle skirt, and from there each look stood in for a heroine, from a navy cashmere cape for La Bohème to a pleated bronze tulle gown for Carmen. Some of the links were a stretch, but the clothes didn’t need them. Draped silk dresses in sienna, green and mahogany were beautifully plain, many of them modest at the front and bare at the back, while a gold-thread dress set with 4,000 smoky stones took 2,500 hours to finish.
The surprise was the animals. Swans, snakes and peacocks in feathers wrapped the waists of ballerina tutus, lions and elephants were built into double-face cashmere, and a gorilla and its baby hid among leather flowers on an organza cape. A heavily embellished white gown with winged sleeves and a high collar, worn by Caroline Brasch Nielsen, was a standout.
Most critics were charmed. Wallpaper saw a daring break into graphic, mythological territory, Fashionista declared that the wild things had come out, and HuffPost said nobody does romance like Valentino. The menagerie did work best when it stayed subtle, though, and the satin tiger leaping across the finale skirt felt like a step too far.
Still, the craft is superb, and the whole thing is a real performance.
More Valentino: see every Valentino couture collection we have reviewed and Valentino Garavani: The Complete Guide.
Previous collection: Valentino Fall 2013 Couture · Next collection: Valentino Fall 2014 Couture
Pictures courtesy of Vogue Runway
We do not own the rights to any of these images and they have been used in good faith. Every effort has been made to ensure that all images are used with proper credits. If you are the rightful owner of any image used on our site and wish to have it removed, please contact us at ayerhsmagazine@gmail.com and we will promptly remove it. We are a non-commercial, passion-driven, independent fashion blog and do not intend to infringe any copyright. Thank you for your understanding.
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