Valentino Spring/Summer 2023 Couture Paris Fashion Week Show

Valentino Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture Show

Valentino brought an underground club to life for its Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture Collection, showcased during the ongoing Paris Fashion Week. With a 9:30 p.m. start time and the 31-degree outdoor temperature, Pierpaolo Piccioli certainly had the guests anticipating what he had to offer. Held at the Bridge Club on Pont Alexandre III, the event had a number of stars and influencers in attendance, including Anne Hathaway, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Sam Smith, Doja Cat, Charli XCX, celebrity stylist Law Roach, Elvis director Baz Luhrmann and his wife, the producer and costume and production designer Catherine Martin.

Taking the runway by storm were models Anok Yai, the first Sudanese model to open the Prada show in 2018, and Adut Akech, who starred in Beyoncé’s visual album Black Is King. The collection played with the fine line between the couture universe and the club scene, drawing inspiration from Piccioli's belief that it’s possible to merge the two. “Their shared values: mutual gestures of extravagance, the notion of clothes as tools of transformation, crafting a true self, a dichotomous yet dual vocabulary of display and revelation, permeance through life,” shared the House in-show notes.

Valentino's new haute couture collection featured the use of voluminous silhouettes and even fitting and flattering ones. The creative director showed a contrast between a very structured world and a more care-free one, both juxtaposing on the runway. Ruffles gave architecture to the body and polka-dots added some fun, while there was also use of ostrich feathers, draping, embroidery and tied bows.

Clad in a vibrant neon yellow Valentino ensemble, guest and superstar Kylie Minogue told The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m still trying to process it all. I love that it represented individuality. You can see references — I know he was talking about [late performance artist] Leigh Bowery and Grace Jones, which is true club culture elevated. I just thought it was beautiful. It all happened so fast, I’m going to have to go and process it all and drool over everything. But the cleanliness of some of it and the cool colors, your blue, your green, your pink, it’s just stunning. And that confidence feels very modern, and you can see that presence make its way down to high-street fashion.”