Valentino Red is back, and so is the brand’s iconic blending of the sweetly feminine amidst a panoply of worldly influences. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, building on themes from their stunning couture presentation in January, incorporate folky, peasant details in with a collection of tidy leather pieces, modest pantsuits and floor-sweeping gowns. Valentino opens with a cadre of black leather outfits. This material, now so familiar, is kept clean and tightly tailored to the female form for a ladylike, expressive take on the trend. They steer away from masculine, oversized pieces, choosing to show sophisticated, lean silhouettes that hew closely to the body. The leather parade is broken up by peasant prints that hail from a Peloponnesian past, using touches of Turkish embroidery to keep the message global. This juxtaposition of lacy, embroidered sweetness against a stricter, buttoned-up mood keeps each look in its own sphere of influence. Valentino Red perks up the darker palette in a series of longer frocks in lace doily cut-outs and leather-bib bodices. While others are feeling protective and masculine for Fall/Winter, Valentino sheds the layers and keeps it light and wearable.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRunway