Valentino Sees Red

To mark the opening of a new boutique in Shanghai, Valentino has launched a new collection, all in shades of red. We met with the creative directors of the brand, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli.

Shanghai, today, with the frenetic pace of a megapolis that packs in 23 million people, is like New York in the 1980s. Not a single day in this city goes by without a dinner or cocktail party to launch a new boutique, mall or luxury space. Not a single night on the Bund goes by without a glamorous party that carries on into dawn. And it was but apt that when Valentino launched their Shanghai boutique, last November, it was done amid week-long glitzy festivities attended by a select few. As Stefano Sassi, CEO of Valentino, pointed out, it wasn’t only about opening a boutique. “The event marked a positive step towards developing the brand for the Asian market,” he said. This choice is justified, especially since Valentino’s revenue in China doubled between 2012 and 2013. This is Valentino’s 18th boutique and first flagship store in China, spectacularly spread across 790 square metres and designed by architect David Chipperfield. The brand also announced 33 new store openings across different Chinese cities. This aggressive expansion in China is part of an interesting creative strategy. Working together for 22 years, of which nine were spent working in the accessories department at Valentino, Maria and Pierpaolo have managed to revive Valentino and raise it to the highest bar, without any loss in the brand’s identity. Over the last few seasons, Valentino has once again become an awaited name at Paris Fashion Week, highly lauded by fashion editors and international fashionistas for its sense of modern luxury. By using their vision to create a timeless style and respecting the brand without destroying its codes, Chiuri and Piccioli have shown us how it is possible to reinvent a historic brand.

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Why red? Maria:

We did not want a repeat of the Paris show, what with the world having instant access to every collection, thanks to the Internet. We wanted to create something very special. In the past, we would never have played with Valentino’s signature red. It was emblematic for us. So, there’s lots of red in our collection. But we can never have enough.

Pierpaolo:

We did not want to showcase a collection that was meant only for Chinese women. With the outreach that fashion has these days, European, American and Asian women are all the same. The identity of the brand is more important to us than the identity of the woman.

Vermilion, purple, burgundy... How many shades of red through the 81 silhouettes in this show? Pierpaolo:

I haven’t counted! We wanted to generously use the Valentino trademark red to make it more personal and wearable. Besides, the same shade of red changes its tone depending on the fabric.

Maria:

When you look at the brand’s history, Valentino’s red is unique and special. But at that time, the Valentino woman was unique, too. Today, Valentino women are so different from each other. And the same woman can be different people by day and by night. That’s why we developed light reds but also dramatic, cardinal, romantic and passionate shades of red.

If your recent collections are anything to go by, your vision of fashion is rather mystical, wouldn’t you say? Are you religious or superstitious? Maria:

Yes, I am religious, but moderately so.

Pierpaolo:

Same here. I’m religious in my own way.

Why did you choose to blend couture and prêt-à-porter? Pierpaolo:

We wanted to showcase the brand’s savoir faire. We tried to portray the strength, the modernity and the nonchalance of our creations. We also wanted to adopt a cultural approach by maintaining the perfection and dignity of couture in prêt-à-porter. It’s like a conversation of sorts.

Your collection featured daywear as well... Maria:

Of course! Red is not reserved for celebrations or for the red carpet. There is no specific time to wear red. We have also included denim, trench coats and leather in the collection.

Pierpaolo:

We create red for a generation that is totally into black. We’re putting out that red is the new black.

Maria:

But this entirely red collection was quite a risky task. We did not want to come on too strong to the people of China.

Pierpaolo:

This is a new perspective of the brand’s signature element. All the shades of red come together and blend perfectly with the original Valentino red.

Do you think your collection fits in with the flavour of fashion in China? Maria:

The idea was more to be true to ourselves and showcase our creativity.

Pierpaolo:

We are showing what we love and what we believe in. If you offer something new but sophisticated, people take to it. It’s an interesting period for China because it is changing so fast. And there is also a new idea of beauty and luxury. Offering designs that are too typical might not be doing justice to how fashions here are evolving.

Maria:

Valentino is a timeless brand, much as we may recreate styles.

How do you manage to reinvent Valentino without it losing its identity? Pierpaolo:

Having worked with Mr Valentino for nine years, this style is now part of our heritage. However, we are giving the brand our own direction now. We are not talking about marketing, but about the philosophy of the brand.

Maria:

We’ve had endless discussions with Mr Valentino about his vision for the brand and helped him in decisionmaking processes, too. Our vision has never been too different from his. When we were appointed creative directors at Valentino, this vision was very clear.

Pierpaolo:

We’re an Italian couture house. In Italy, people talk about fashion before savoir faire. There is a cultural tradition of showcasing everyone associated in the creative process. We are very proud of our studios. We are also very proud of our 10 new recruits who will now learn the technical and creative savoir faire from the oldest members of our team.

Valentino’s New Boutique in China

The new Valentino boutique in China is situated in the heart of the city’s business district, not too far from the former French colony of Shanghai. This store is at the IAPM megamall on Huai Hai Zhong Road and is spread across two levels. Some of the highlights of the store include window displays with more than 40 mannequins, exclusive collections and private couture salons done up in marble, precious wood, leather and silk carpets. The design concept of the store was announced by architect David Chipperfield at a press conference on the 36th floor of a luxurious skyscraper in downtown Shanghai. The opening was marked by a Chinese dragon dance. That evening, another surprise awaited the international guests: A collection by Valentino, featuring 81 silhouettes, which will soon be available in stores across the globe. All the creations were designed in shades of red, from the mildest to the fiercest. The fashion show took place at the international cruise terminal at the port, overlooking the magnificent Shanghai skyline. The soirée featured music by Michel Gaubert, a young singer Elisa Baldo, and DJs Sean and Anthony, sons of Carlos Souza, the ex-communications director and now ambassador of the brand.

The capsule collection “Shanghai” will be available in Valentino boutiques across the globe beginning April. valentino.com

From the February 2014 issue of L’Officiel India.