Daily Front Row

2011 October 3

Spring 2012: Giambattista Valli, Emanuel Ungaro

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Giambattista Valli Spring 2012
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(PARIS) Giambattista Valli 
A frothy dose of brocade served over ice—rather, in an icy palate of quietly decadent ivories—glided down the runway at Giambattista Valli. Hemlines were brief, for the most part, but the collection was long on mélanges of luxuriant textiles—mostly monochromatic swaths of creamy embroidery, tufts of feathering, intricate bejeweling and flouncy baby doll skirting made for a modern fantasy, wearable but fanciful. The cleanly cut shifts, shells and matching cropped trou, plus flared A-line coats smacked of the ‘60s, but more unexpected notes like peplum-laden zebra prints and chain-linked stilettos felt thoroughly modern. Bravo! 

Emanuel Ungaro
Teamwork behind the scenes, design-wise, produced the kind of hallmark Ungaro prints and pigments befitting of the brand’s heritage. Bursts of blown-up teal and cobalt florals kicked things off, followed by a procession of mottled watercolor washes in the same cool color family. Silhouettes spanned the gamut, to versatile but slightly distracting effect: jumpsuits wedged between sequin-shouldered body-con minidresses and slinky ruched sheaths, and squiggles of contrastive ruffles edged many a neckline. But things got far more interesting once the plumes of red hit the runway, playing off of pale blue on high-necked sheaths and sexier tight, knotted, and cutout versions. A few little red dresses later, a sparkly finale of spangled, metallic and white bid adieu until next season with a bold brush of classic Ungaro spirit.