Daily Front Row

2013 January 22

Paris Couture: Giambattista Valli

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Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Spring 2013
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(PARIS) Full skirts, tea-length dresses, black and white, animal print, pastels and floral, oh my! Giambattista Valli's couture collection hit all of the key trends we've been eyeing from the runways. Valli's show opened at the Italian Embassy yesterday in a gilded room with a black and white cheetah print housecoat dress and moved into a mini zebra print dress cinched at the waste with a belt of copper leaves made by Luigi Scialanga. Also from Rome, Scialanga designed all of the jewels for the show including headpieces in the form of headbands and crowns. Next up? A sexy take on watteau dresses with shortened lengths and narrow waists. But, the collection really blossomed when Valli sent out gowns in springy pastels fastened with petites fleurettes. Take, for instance, a soft pink tea-length frock that fit close to the body, bubbled at the waist, and then fell straight to the ankles. Sublime.

As for the front row, Anna Wintour touted her political relations by bringing the U.S. Ambassador to France and his wife. Other Valli girls perched front and center were Salma Hayek in a cherry red Fall 2012 dress from the designer and socialites Lee Radziwill and Bianca Brandolini.