Only in the hands of Valentino and its creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli could the formality of black tie be subverted into a statement of rebellious freedom. Questioning the entire ethos of dress codes and “occasionwear” as we’ll call it, the Valentino Fall Winter 2023 collection presented the rather radical argument of wearing whatever, whenever. Just look cool while doing it.
At the peak of season two of award-winning series White Lotus, talk over the chaotic and mismatched approach to style of peak Gen Z character Portia dominated online discussions. But it turns out she was on the money. Or at least Hayley Lu Richardson was, who was quoted as supplying much of her own wardrobe for the role.
The fun of new generations rising is seeing the rules of older ones are be broken. Witnessing this should be an opportunity for creative exploration. In an interview post-show, Piccioli shared how seeing his daughter borrow a black tie look from his own wardrobe for a random night out gave him the opportunity to see beyond the dress code’s figure of speech. Why let ourselves be conditioned by conditions that are arbitrary? Especially when it comes to fashion. Or art.
Traditionally restricted to occasional dressing, black tie as an idea has a reputation for its restrictiveness. But take it out of its prescribed context and this is where things have the potential to get interesting.
How this works at Valentino is layered: a monochrome-focused collection that is literal in its presentation. And the figurative. The usual motifs are there – the tie, the shirt, the jacket – but they’ve been recoded. The jacket isn’t a jacket, but a layered shirt cut to the specifics of a jacket. The classic white is switched out for a pale pistachio hue, matched by the tops of wingtip shoes and reflecting the emerald of a box-cut peacoat. A Teddy Boy for the new era.
It wasn’t just in the playful proportions or colour blocking but in the styling too. Quarter-zips crafted in lime green leather, or the leather single-breasted blazer, was orn with shirt and tie while a trench coat was slashed at the sides to wear more like a cape.
If there was ever a case to argue that being over dressed is the new punk rock, this was it.
