For Spring 2018, Pierpaolo Piccioli brought back the Valentino of the ‘80s for the millennial generation. Piccioli confessed he didn’t initially like the VLTN lettering that ran through the show as it was an old ‘80s logo that was familiar to him. However, he said ‘I have a lot of young guys on our team, and they loved it. I like to listen to them—you have to listen, to learn. So I tried to re-set my eyes. And I started to see it in a different way.’
For the show, Piccioli tweaked standard norms of familiar pieces, like adding a pleat to the back of the ankle of chinos, and adding handwork and embellishments to jackets and tracksuits. Tribal embroideries added a folksy touch to athleisure tracksuits but bright green and pops of blue kept the aesthetic modern and sporty.
The standout feature of the collection was the footwear, namely the sneakers that came in myriad versions of multi-coloured textile and applique. There were yellow, purple and green versions, with fringing and multi-coloured zig-zags all making them a fun and unique choice. An angle perfectly suited to millennial super-fans who are sure to make it their mission to get a pair in their footwear arsenal for spring.
