Valentino Spring 2018 Couture

A conversation that I’ve been having with friends and colleagues lately has centered on the topic of fashion shows. Does it make sense these days to have one? Is it an old business model? Is it better to have a small presentation instead? Or is it better to just shoot a look book and promote your brand on social media? One thing is for certain: the excitement of a runway show, especially a well-produced runway show with a beautifully designed collection, is pretty hard to beat. That being said, I also don’t think it’s completely crucial to the success of a brand to have one this day in age. But what a runway show does is create a fantasy, and I love fantasy. It’s what pushes me to work hard to attain my goals and make my dreams come to fruition. We need it in our lives. That’s why I still believe in couture. It’s a high level of craftsmanship that is the ultimate fantasy – a fashion fantasy. It’s not attainable by most women, but it’s aspirational, and isn’t aspiration the thing that gets us out of bed each day?   The importance of continuing a couture show is for brand awareness, but also to continue to employ highly skilled artisans and to keep the craft alive. The hard work and dedication that goes into developing a couture collection is painstaking, and it shows. It makes me appreciate fashion on a different level, and it always takes me back to that feeling I had when I first discovered fashion and how much it moved me. Which brings me to one of the most overwhelmingly gorgeous collections I’ve truly appreciated in a while: Valentino Spring 2018 Couture. The color! The silhouettes! The prints! The hats! It all looked so effortless, in the best way possible. Moire silk pants worn casually with oversized floral sweatshirts, ruffled clown collars and sleeves peeking out from beneath, and voluminous dresses cinched with long belts tied into a bow made my heart sing. Oversize florals that were printed on gowns, long ochre duster coats that were ruffled and luxurious, ostrich feather hats, and my absolute favorite: high-waisted turquoise trousers cinched with a lavender bow belt and a white sheer blouse. Three friends messaged me and said that when they saw that particular look they immediately thought of Joanna. I was flattered, of course. I keep referencing this collection and will continue to do so for seasons to come. It’s aspirational, and while there were still some of the more traditional couture show-stoppers in the collection (it wouldn’t be a couture show without them), I think this is a way of dressing that is attainable to many women. Even for those who can’t afford the couture prices, it’s a look and a feeling that inspires. Images via Vogue.com