Fashion In Review: Balenciaga And Valentino SS17 Was Full of Surprises

It may have been Day Six at Paris Fashion Week, but the number two seemed to be the key figure at both Balenciaga and Valentino.

Demna Gvasalia presented his second womenswear collection for Balenciaga, and it touched on the themes of fetishism and obsessions. Exaggerated shoulders on jackets and coats were held up with the masterful insertion of whalebone rods, turning them into “couture” pieces that will no doubt become objects of desire next season.

Spandex was used liberally throughout the collection, some taking form as crayon-coloured, second-skin trousers that extended down the legs to become pointy heels. Aided by the soundtrack (instrumentals of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”), neon-coloured florals interspersed throughout gave the collection its retro nostalgia, while ’80s blouses and slinky dresses adorned with actual Balenciaga’s archival jewellery pieces only added to the collection’s lust factor.

At Valentino, what was once the power of two has been reduced to just one—Pierpaolo Piccioli is now the sole Creative Director holding fort after Maria Grazia Chiuri‘s departure.The show notes talked about Piccioli’s fresh start for the brand, but essentially the collection is an affirmation of what he’s best at: Creating dreamy confections that take the breath away.

Piccioli invited artist Zandra Roch to interpret Hieronymus Bosch’s famous “Garden of Delights” paintings, after which he applied the prints to an appliqué leather jacket and girly pleated dresses; every look grounded with sandals or low-heeled shoes. The closing passage of frothy gowns, each laboriously crafted under the skillful hands of artisans, may have signalled the end of the show, but it only heralded the start of a new era at Valentino.