While I admire and respect Valentino for the elegance and refinement of his aesthetic, I'm not one of those followers of fashion who was crying over his decision to retire. To be honest, Valentino's affinity for lace, bows and various other flourishes could be a tad precious at times and some of his creations had a fussy 'Alexis Carrington' air to them that made me cringe (just a little but still). While many remember his gorgeous creations worn by Jackie O. and Marisa Berenson in the 1960's and 1970's, there were some creations best forgotten. Remember, Anne Hathaway's white lace gown with a huge black bow across the poitrine at the 2007 Oscars? Or Cameron Diaz's white tulle 'prom queen' gown at the 2006 Golden Globes? So, in a sense, I've been looking forward to the passage of powers to Allessandra Facchinetti and to her own reinterpretation of the best of the Valentino legacy.
Fachinetti's debut collection has all the hallmarks of a typical Valentino collection: lovely cocktail dresses, beautiful tailored, lady-like coats and elegant gowns (a few of them red) but with a pared down, restrained aesthetic that gives the collection a much more youthful edge than previously. She also displayed her respect for the fashion house's heritage by incorporating the delicate transparency and floatiness of some of Valentino's iconic looks from the late 1960's in a number of the pieces. While she was smart to reference Valentino's golden age, she was smarter still to do so without letting herself be enslaved by the house's venerable past. What resulted was a feminine but youthful take on an iconic designer's body of work.
It could not have been easy for Facchinetti to step into this role given the fashion world's enduring 'lovefest' unleashed in July 2007 when Valentino formally announced his retirement. A light touch was required and I think most will agree that she acquitted herself with grace. This however was only the first step. The next few seasons will be the real test to see whether she will be able (or rather allowed) to leave her own imprint on the House of Valentino. Frida Giannini is still struggling to gain acceptance at the post-Tom Ford House of Gucci (despite record sales) as is Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint-Laurent which has yet to break even. At The Luxe Chronicles, we hope Allessandra Facchinetti will be allowed to succeed. We think she's a worthy successor. Brava Allessandra!
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
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