valentino

Photographed in Rome’s Orto Botanico, the colorful and couture-inspired pieces in the Valentino Resort 2020 collection shone like rare fruit among giant palms and picturesque bamboo forests. According to creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, this collection was not about escape, as resort collections often are. He aimed to create a wardrobe with a wealth of options for everyday wear, and this elegant simplicity is key to the appeal of Piccioli’s exuberant designs.

In this way, the restraint of this collection mirrors that of the restraint of a lush garden stuck in the middle of a bustling city, with no possible option for expansion. It is a contained wilderness, which is something these gorgeous clothes can create within us. Feathers adorn jackets, hot pink details bubble up from the core, and sharp dresses are paired with carefree sandals- hints of unabashed joy shine through the pared down exterior of this collection, creating something insanely wearable, yet still exotic and enchanting.

While the clothes themselves are definitely nice to look at, the plants are what drew me in. Lately it seems like plants are having their own renaissance, as more people begin to cultivate them inside of their homes in vast quantities, covering nearly every surface with them. Even I have begun to fill my home with little, leafy friends, adopting the mentality that you can never have too many. My Instagram feed has become overgrown with scenes of lush greenery, so much so that my own posts would blend into the imagery of this collection (is Pierpaolo stealing my thunder?).

wildrepose instagram apartment with a lot of plants

Adding a ton of plants to your living space has recently become a huge trend in interior design. Honestly, I think it looks amazing! (Photos: @wildrepose on Instagram.)

By surrounding ourselves with all manner of foliage, we try to cultivate our own bit of the wild, a slice of nature to remind us of our roots. I could never get tired of looking at plants. They exude liveliness and have a calming effect on the soul, as if to remind us that the world we inhabit is alive, whether we like it or not. All of this to say, if you want to get me a gift, go with a plant and it will never disappoint!

Check out some of my favorite looks from the collection below:

polka dot dress with long black jacket and boots valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

monochrome black outfit valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

long white dress in front of palm trees valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

colorful dress with palm trees valentino resort 2020

shimmering dress with long sleeves valentino resort 2020

flowing white outfit valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

short dress with brown boots from valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

white dress with dramatic sleeves valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

short dress with pink flower print valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

dress with star motif in bamboo forest valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

voluminous green dress valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

white jacket with feathers valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

all purple outfit with hat and cape valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

white outfit with feathers and embroidery valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

colorful dress in front of palm trees valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

sheer long black dress valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

beige outfit in garden valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

white coat with colorful details valentino resort 2020 the young eclectic

pink outfit with feathers valentino resort 2020

All images of Valentino Resort 2020 are from Vogue.com.

It was easy to fall in love with Pierpaolo Piccioli’s latest collection for Valentino- a sharp, red collection rife with snappy pleats and plenty of Valentino’s signature ruffles. And while the fashion world reels in the wake of the Dolce & Gabbana controversy, Valentino’s show was a rousing success, leaving the crowd awestruck at the finale, as red petals rained from the ceiling.

valentino pre-fall 2019 tokyo fashion show runway — Valentino’s crisp Pre-Fall 2019 collection emphasized the beauty in imperfection and featured plenty of pretty pleats and ruffles. (Photo: Fashionista.com)

Shown in Tokyo, a first for Valentino, this collection celebrated the intricacies of Japanese culture by honoring the concept of wabi-sabi, or finding beauty in imperfection, and kintsugi, the art of repairing broken porcelain with molten gold, a theme that Piccioli feels is very timely.

“Western culture is about symmetry, perfection, static beauty, while wabi-sabi is more close to the idea of harmony, of inner grace. Time goes by and it adds, it doesn’t take away. It’s really interesting for this moment—in the past, beauty was perfection, but I really feel beauty is about diversity, that this idea of wabi-sabi is very modern in this moment.”

The show itself thrived off its many juxtapositions- the bright red printed against a deep black, the neutral makeup with the blue lip, the extravagant quality of the clothing and the plainness of the industrial warehouse venue. Every aspect of the collection served to bring to light another feature, making the clothing a joy to bring the eyes across.

And while much of the collection was rendered in a pure and piercing red, there were many moments of softness and pause, like with a short baby-blue dress and another soft, millennial pink ensemble. And while there were a ton of frills and downy jackets that floated down the runway like a puff of smoke, the looks were almost always grounded with some sturdy-looking shoes- another detail to fascinate the gaze.

Check out some of my favorite looks from the show below: