by Grace Gordon

The tidy, simple dresses Giambattista Valli shows at the beginning of this runway collection may lull you into a false idea of the overall theme, but they are just there to offer counter point to later looks. This is a surprising collection that compares and contrasts the simple with the avant-garde using the language of elegant tailoring and witty embellishment.

Maybe it’s the abstract print blunt cut suit with yellow fur lined along the bottom or the shaggy goat hair overlay on a plain velvet dress that first tips us off that this isn’t any ordinary collection. The tulip prints from a Flemish painting are the only details here that play it straight – the rest is a mash up of exhilarating styles and designs that are textural and deep in a way one doesn’t expect. Hip heavy jodhpur britches lend a wispy model cartoonlike proportion, while oversize maxi skirts with deep pockets look languid and loose in a highly enviable way. One of the greatest looks Valli showed was an upturned ruffled hem that rippled across the front of several dresses. This odd little hem gave the clothes a surprised, anthropomorphized look. These are abstract concepts made concrete with really deft tailoring and an eye for intelligent design. In an effort to solidify this idea, turn from the first look to the last. Contrast the sleek, simple sheath dress to the enormous ball gown at the end. These two wildly different looks bookend one of Valli’s best collections to date. Let’s hope he has more like this in him in the future.