Deriving inspiration from “Yves Saint Laurent – but more his lifestyle than his fashion” and using that as the foundation on which to build his Fall ’09 collection, Giambattista Valli then added some luxurious fabrics – wools, silks, large-scale buffalo plaids, metallic brocades, as well as plenty of plumage in the ostrich and peacock variety, which were then cut into elegant dresses, skirts, tops and jackets.
Valli has always appealed to the European aesthetic with his graceful cut, ultra-female silhouettes, and the overwhelming aura of yester-year sophisticated elegance that has continually attracted high profile clients such as the regal, Queen Rania of Jordan.
The elegance was there; this go around was no different, except for one noticeable deviation – hemline length. The hemlines for jackets and skirts alike stretched to the ankle level or longer, sometimes grazing the floor. Valli even scaled back a bit on his accessories, letting the focus remain on the cutting craftsmanship of each garment. Straight forward, no-frills chic could be found in dresses draped in matte jersey, long skirts with subtle volume, cropped jackets with exaggerated sleeves, and long double-faced wool jackets, a metallic gold tank paired with belted high-waisted trousers that were tucked in crocodile knee-high boots and topped off with an ombre fur-sleeved jacket.
There were also some more profound looks such as a coat cut in oversized black and white buffalo check combined with ostrich feathers, a red and yellow ombre floor-length fur sleeveless jacket, and a coat made entirely of ostrich and peacock feathers all proved to be show stoppers.
In the end, Valli did what he does best – European chic that focuses on cut, color, and effortless style. With such a stellar presentation, Valli will surely have nothing to worry about in this economy as his designs will surely continue to garner personal orders from international royalty around the world.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
