Under the guardianship of Pierpaolo Piccioli, Maison Valentino created fashion headlines last year when it released the Valentino Pink PP collection. Fresh off the success of that collection, Piccioli has now turned to menswear essentials to kick start 2023. Maison Valentino Essentials is a curated selection of men’s iconic wardrobe staples that represent the versatile nature of a man’s wardrobe.
These core essentials – pieces that every man should have in his wardrobe – are selected and envisioned by Piccioli as he builds a personal, yet universal wardrobe, that embodies the craftsmanship of the Maison, while fits are fluid and the unisex sizes are presented on the labels as I, II and III.
The collection features monochrome black options with accents of white on the piping of the bowling shirt and the inside of the bomber jacket. Inspired by couture’s eccentric colour palette, layering is enhanced and boosted using intense, solid colour tones.
While couture and tailoring are techniques that may look alike, couture is traditionally feminine, and tailoring is traditionally masculine. Combining these two elements of design is a proposal born from a collision – the extreme idea of masculinity with a tailor combined with the extravaganza of couture creates a wonderful clash and the idea is to create a new effortlessness in tailoring.
The Maison Valentino Essentials Collection is made up of items that allow any man to build his wardrobe. The collections include Foulard shirts that debuted in the Valentino Rendez-Vous SS22 Collection and have since become iconic pieces. Their loose and free fit amplifies the freedom of movement.
Jackets come in an oversized fit and are light and versatile to create modern looks. These can be paired with several items, including tailored pants or shorts, as a disruptive element, in a fashion formal approach. The jackets feature a white lining – a reference to the Maison’s classic tailoring and a citation of the sartorial canvas with which the draft of a suit is made while providing a distinctive contrast with the exterior.
The jumpsuits form a distinctive uniform with an urban feel, marked by the bold character. The jumpsuit debuted in Valentino’s SS 23 collection, where it introduced the distinctive Toile Iconographe pattern.
Coats, bombers, and anoraks are cut in soft oversized shapes, where volumes are built using the structures of couture. The collection includes pyjamas – a signature of Maison Valentino – and a statement item that allows for the free expression of identity. Here, the classic black version is enriched with sophisticated white piping detail. The bowling shirt, another recognizable Valentino staple, is detailed with a contrasting white collar.
Any essentials collection would not be complete without t-shirts, the starting point of the creative process. These classic t-shirts form the essential base of the wardrobe.
The collection wouldn’t be complete without accessories, and for his essentials collection, Pierpaolo Piccioli chose to go with a totally black version of the Valentino Garavini bag, complete with the Vlogo Signature detail tone-on-tone. The bag, with its minimalist charm and urban character, embodies the process of re-signification and the evolution of the iconic codes of the Maison. Piccioli also included another staple – sneakers. The Valentino Garavini One Stud XL Sneaker is re-imagined with the introduction of a platform sole, taking the sneaker to new heights. In this iteration, studs become one – a single subtle sign of unconventional expressivity that defines the Valentino community and its non-conformist attitude.
Credits:
A project by Tommaso Garner (Art Director) & Vittorio Maria Dal Maso (AI Designer) with The Circumstances
Images: Nicolò Amoretti (AI PH Designer)
