Valentino Garavani said goodbye to fashion world with his last couture show held on the 23rd of January, 2008. And what a farewell it was! The collection was an impressive array of over seventy outfits celebrating a long and successful career.
It wasn't a retrospective, but a lesson of impeccable technique and old-school glamour, a legacy of fashion loveliness Valentino leaves in the hands of Alessandra Facchinetti, the ex-Gucci designer.
The collection embraced Valentino signature style: double-faced coats, cocktail skirt suits and sheath dresses; beautiful draping, beaded chiffon, lace, flower prints and satin bows, all in a beautiful and soft pastel color palette.
The couture show didn't entirely follow fashion trends but there were outstanding pieces with a timeless appeal. It will be Facchinetti's mission to capture the essence of Valentino and turn it in a modern direction.
The standout moments were the evening gowns in white, pale-pink and silvery gray. The latter, a tiered strapless column has already being spotted at the BAFTAs.
