EXCLUSIVE: Even Valentino Knows, Nothing Beats the Essentials
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Valentino is no stranger to bright voluminous gowns, dramatic headwear, and towering heels. But for its latest drop, the Italian maison is heading back to the basics.
I mean, it’s rare to catch creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli without his uniform: a black tee, black pants, and black shoes. Oh, and maybe a black hoodie if it’s a little chilly.
It should be no surprise that the king of covert staples is releasing a collection of luxe mainstays for Valentino, naturally and simply titled “Essentials.”
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As the name suggests, Valentino Essentials materializes as an offering of roomy jackets, pajama-esque shirts, loose trousers, and oversized jackets.
For Piccioli, Valentino Essentials goes beyond its surface-level appearance as another offering of elevated staples. Instead, it reflects the times — down to the AI-generated campaign shown below.
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There’s undoubtedly been a shift in womenswear and menswear in the past few years. Given the global pandemic and society’s all-embracing norms, brands began introducing more co-ed shows, unisex lines, and diversified rosters featuring non-identifying models.
In short, the new rules are there are no rules. Do you and wear what you want!
“With Essential, I want to bring together the items like a pajama, tailoring, and something from couture,” Piccioli told Highsnobiety. “To me, these spirits that connect give the idea of a man today, which is more about individuality and diversity — not rules, roles, social appearance, but a personal expression.”
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At the core of Essentials is a meeting of Valentino’s renowned couture, meticulous tailoring, streetwear elements, and practicality.
Tailoring adds fluidity to garments rather than molding them to body — design codes which Piccioli believes adds a new sense of expression and attitude to the pieces.
For the color palette — yep, black is in there — Piccioli makes a point to include the famed Valentino Pink shade, a “couture color” which assists in bestowing a “new meaning” to the collection’s garments.
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“The idea of Essential is an idea of a core that can be explored and exploded in different ways and through different looks and silhouettes,” Picciolo said.
“That’s why I wanted to use pink in the collection because it’s a color that had the most different perception and meanings during the centuries.”
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Valentino’s Essentials collection encapsulates the core of wardrobe basics — versatility, understatement, and, most importantly, timelessness (it’s the qualities that makes them bangers). Indeed, don’t expect any VLogomania this go-around.
Through its forthcoming drop, which will be up for grabs via its website, Valentino informs a new era for the Valentino muse — with the wardrobe to match.
“We cannot be only street, only couture, only tailoring because that doesn’t give a picture of this moment to me. To me, the moment is the melting of those things,’ Piccioli continued. “Essential is important because it’s a new way of thinking of men’s wardrobe and, thus, the people’s wardrobe.”
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