Valentino under designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Picciol has found its own voice throughout the years and spring 2012 haute couture is no exception with a collection of demure romanticism. This season showcased florals, lace, and crystal embellished bodices, all made with the utmost attention to detail. Like many shows this haute couture season, the color palette was light–showcasing silvers, powdery blue and rosy pink for a feminine touch.
But it was Marie Antoinette role-playing in her little farm on the grounds of Versailles who provided the collection's ambience. The first model seemed to arrive in the salons of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild on a breath of cool country air. Sprigged flower prints covered almost everything. An antique fabric alchemy transformed taffeta into equally antique-looking blurred floral chaîne. The sense of precious old artisanship was also evident in the swirling bouilloné decoration. The volumes were diaphanous, bucolic, like the cloud of point d'esprit scattered with organza lace cutouts. The designers sought a "deep lightness." It was beautifully exemplified in dresses with up to five layers of lace and organza.
