With everything that’s going on in the world, what anyone needs is a bit of TLC.
“I wanted something very peaceful, to caress the soul of the person that’s going to be into [my clothes],” said Giambattista Valli of his resort lineup.
And softness there was, from the sherbet shades of pink, pistachio and marigold to plush knits, swathes of chiffon and bouncy macramé.
Throughout, he envisions the Valli woman as a cultural magpie who knows her own mind, always ready to throw her chic bits into a suitcase to discover new horizons. These informed prints that took cues from an idealized Silk Road that runs from Italy to India, via myriad gardens.
That said, she’s pragmatic about her wardrobe and so is he: resort staples were amply covered, from a saharienne-style blazer and wide-leg denims to pretty knits and plenty of the dresses that have made the brand a go-to for summer events.
There was even Valli’s take on the Breton top, with light pink stripes on a bouclé fabric used for anything from a brassiere top and matching cardigan to a long tunic that could be worn as a minidress.
Also leaning into this easy-breezy direction were the 11 beachwear styles that were dotted throughout the lineup.
Cut from fine-gauge swimsuit jersey, the draped one-pieces could moonlight as tops for a summer evening out while the dresses would weather a jump into a pool — or being pushed in, as the designer joked.
Simple as the lineup seemed at first glance, Valli is a stickler for detailing, particularly in textiles. They included this season fine-gauge mercerized knits, floral cloqué jacquards as well as a crocodile-effect lacquered fabric.
Along with accessories such as flat sandals edged with brightly colored chains and woven baskets, either in straw or hand-laced leather, the lineup spun a tale of warm-weather lightness as palatable as cotton candy.