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Women's

Valentino’s Designing Duo

Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri

The Valentino atelier at 8 Place Vendome is calm and efficient in the days before designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli present their Fall/Winter 2011 collection to the fashion cognescenti. Not even a surprise visit by former Paris Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld  seems to rattle the pair. They continue to cast and fit the willowy girls who wait patiently outside the showroom doors, stopping once in a while to ask Madame Roitfeld’s opinion.

Outside, the Galliano maelstrom swirls but inside Chiuri and Piccioli remain focused on the task of placing the finishing touches on the looks. In what has become a very grown-up season with plenty of references to the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie, the Valentino designers have found a way to work with the house’s heritage but move it beyond the ladies-who-lunch set. This lady has an edge. Her skirt is just over the knee and her pump doesn’t quite match. Its acid green toe hints at a wilder side. Amidst blush colored silks and organza, the mixed textures of lace fused onto cashmere, the slight fraying of a collar or a hem, pleated skirts held together with strips of chantilly lace, and laser-cut leather all add a modernity to classic shapes.

Finally the big day arrives.

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