Giambattista Valli

PARIS, March 3, 2006
By Nicole Phelps
The rest of fashion may be preoccupied with the cocoon and trapeze shapes he proposed in his breakout spring collection, but Giambattista Valli has moved on. Today he explored a cut he only touched upon last season: a mid-calf-length skirt of almost New Look proportions. Perhaps by way of contrast, he also introduced its diametric opposite, the hobble. In the former, models sashayed freely around a hall on the upper floor of the Musée de l'Homme, a venue boasting stunning views of the Eiffel Tower. In the latter, not the easiest style to strut a runway in, they had all the time in the world to admire the vista.

If wearabilty wasn't always foremost in Valli's mind, artistry was. Take one radzimir sheath, the face-framing ruffles of which trailed along a neckline that dipped to the lower back, suggesting angel's wings. Feathers were a recurring motif. They trimmed the thigh-high hem of a showgirl's orange sequined minidress, and more subtly, were layered from waist to hem on a slim skirt worn with a slouchy V-neck sweater.

Day-for-night dressing was another theme at play. What interests Valli, and what he excels at, is dressing a woman who never dresses down. After eight, it's gold bugle beads; before, it's a camel cashmere jacket with crystals the size of cell-phone screens glittering at her neck.

Style.com

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