Scarlet Fervour

Valentino presents the essence of wabi-sabi in a standout pre-fall show that challenges traditional ideals of beauty and culture.

- Charmaine Ho

“For the venue of the show, I didn’t choose a beautiful, decorated one. I wanted a brutalist space that was much more raw; that was all about concrete, structure and architecture,” said Valentino Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli. “We wanted to get Valentino away from classic Valentino expectations. It was better for me to create a space of ‘ma’ [a Japanese word meaning negative space, a pause or interval]: Naked, raw, with no decoration, just clothes and the spirit of the show.” Which explains why I’m seated, along with other guests, in neat rows along the cavernous industrial hall of Terrada Warehouse in Toyko’s Shinagawa district, anticipating Valentino’s first-ever pre-fall show. But while Piccioli’s choice of venue was an attempt to take the brand far away from the polished world expected of it, the fashion that came down the runway featured classic Valentino codes, executed with a Japanese spirit.

A red ruffled number kicked off the impressive 90-look collection. Feminine florals on dresses were given an edgier touch with red and purple prints overlaid on black. Lace evoked disintegration when expertly spliced across a pleated leather skirt and an oversized jacket for a look that recalled Harajuku’s Gothic Lolitas.