At the press conference following his debut Valentino haute couture collection Alessandro Michele said, “I’m trying to put an ocean into a glass.” I can’t recall precisely what he was referring to—I was listening to the translation from Italian to English on headphones and scribbling fast—but his words resonated. That’s how I feel trying to sum up his show, which was stimulating in the extreme. From the steep pitch of the stadium-style seating (he named the show Vertigineux) to the Jenny Holzer-ish LED ticker of references that played behind each look to Prokofiev’s monumental Romeo & Juliet soundtrack at the finale, complete with flashing lights, there was much to take in, and that’s not even including the clothes. In true Michele fashion, they were laden with references, styled to the nth degree, and just about as far from the banal and beige (both of which were themes of this couture week) as can be. Read Sarah Mower’s review. |
