THINGS I LOVE vol.23

　

"VALENTINO" was founded in Rome, Italy in 1957. In 1962, the first fashion show was held at the Pitti Palace in Florence, which attracted great attention in Europe and America. After that, he began to have famous clients such as Aristotle Onassis, Jacqueline Onassis, and Elizabeth Taylor, and in 1971 he moved his base to Milan. Since then, it has continued to be loved by political and business circles and the entertainment industry for many years.

It was in 2014 that such a long-established Italian brand announced its men's collection in Paris. It was a modern and cool collection that completely changed the image of ``VALENTINO''. The designers are Pierpaolo Piccioli (current director of Balenciaga) and Maria Grazia Chiuri (current creative director of Fendi). This was the debut of the men's collection in Paris, and I think it was perfect timing to present the men's collection in Paris. Personally, I was in a rut with men's collections in Paris, so I had high expectations for this VALENTINO show. It was a show to show the world the rebranding of a long-established store, and I expected there to be some surprising developments. When the show started, I was suddenly captivated by the first five looks. All 5 looks are coats. Anyway, each coat has a beautiful silhouette that flutters when the model walks. I was stunned by its elegance. It was supple and exquisitely beautiful, like the long women's dresses that Valentino Garavani was known for.

Luxury brand rebranding is now so confusing that it is hard to tell which one can be called a rebrand due to the rapid turnover of designers. However, I think the ``VALENTINO'' show at that time was a great demonstration of the success of the rebrand. Without retaining the impression of Valentino Garavani, it inherits the tradition of Italian classics, yet is soft and casual, yet modern and cool. The light overall image was truly refreshing.
I was shocked by the coat I saw at this show. I wanted to buy it and wear it right away, but it turned out to be a haute couture item. I thought haute couture was something I had no connection to, but I wanted to get that coat no matter what. So I went to my atelier in Rome to make it. I also really liked the white stretch T-shirts that were released around the same time, so I bought 5 of them at a store in Paris. Although it is a "white T-shirt", it has a very three-dimensional feel, and it seems that it has had a strong influence on several men's brands since then. For a while, many similar T-shirts were on the market. I think it was a bit of a white T renaissance. I took the liberty of calling it "Dress T" and introduced it in various media.

The Roman atelier where the coat was made was located next to Rome's famous Plaza de Espana, right in the middle of Rome. I think the city of Rome, which feels more like Italy than Milan, and the atmosphere created by its cheerful people are essential image sources for ``VALENTINO''. I look forward to the continued production of ``VALENTINO'', which combines the mischievous Italian mood with the prestigious history of Rome.
Currently, "VALENTINO" is led by Alessandro Michele. The reason behind his joining this brand is that it is a brand that originated in Rome, which is Michele's birthplace, but more than anything, I hear that he has been greatly influenced by the "maximalism" of "VALENTINO" more than ever. There is no doubt that the day will come when Michele, with the vast archive of ``VALENTINO'' on her side, will create another sensation.

　

　

■Tomoki Yuma (@stsukezane）
Born in Kyoto City in 1965. Started his career as an editor in the editorial department of Magazine House ``POPEYE''. Currently, in addition to planning and styling fashion pages for magazines, she also designs advertising costumes for artists and musicians. Before the coronavirus, he covered men's collections in Paris and Milan for over 35 years.

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