Valentino Menswear S/S 2018: put your trainers on and head out onto the streets!
Comfort comes first
The Italian fashion designer and creative director of Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli, has decided to afford men some comfort in the spring. The luxurious S/S 2018 collection is heavily influenced by elements of streetwear and sport, with a wealth of handcrafted features, elaborate details, energy, functionality and is short on elegance. We see here sports jackets, oversize shirts, baggy trousers and luxurious voluminous leather bags. Simply put, comfort comes first!
Móda proti proudu
Názor PROTI PROUDU: Martina Šmalclová
A luxury collection which offers individuality
The collection is full of lively and diverse colours in shades of green, red, blue orange or yellow in combination with pastel shades. But it does also include black and white classics. We also see simple lines and embroidery in unexpected places. The collection blends styles and is ablaze in diversity. That is no accident, something which is confirmed by Pierpaolo Piccioli himself.
“Diversity means allowing people to show their character, their individuality in their own way. If that is the way things are, all of the clothes must be key items – items which you can combine with your own wardrobe in order to emphasise your character.”
The fact that Pierpaolo Piccioli has a long career behind him as a designer of accessories with Fendi has also been projected into the S/S 2018 collection. Its dominant feature is trainers. Each pair of trainers has its own collage of multicoloured knitted textiles and appliqués. We see for example totem symbols, zigzag stitches or logos. We have no doubt that the sophisticated workmanship will be reflected in the price and availability – exclusivity guaranteed!
Obsession with the logo!
The VLTN logo is a new feature, drawn in the traditional font of the luxury brand and adorning t-shirts, shirts and sweatshirts. Scarves attached to white shirts bearing the older iconic logo from the 80s are a truly luxurious item.
Názor PROTI PROUDU: Ornella Koktová
The new collection by Valentino left me perplexed. On the one hand, I really like the new version of the classic beige trousers which look amazing, even in the new baggy form in combination with a white shirt and stitched belt. On the other hand, I see a nightmare!
I don’t want to be critical, but if I saw a man wearing tracksuit bottoms like that, I would probably throw him some change. I certainly can’t see the art of the luxury brand here. And those huge colourful bags? Those were called the “grey plague” over here during the socialist era. And I know that because I saw them at an exhibition on the history of fashion.
So, as far as I am concerned, it gets a major thumbs down for being absolutely asexual. And I thought that last week when I went for a drink in the centre of Prague that all of those tracksuits around me were just a bad joke. I suppose the times are changing and instead of sex symbols in the elegant style of James Bond, we now have a male trend of wanting to look like Borat?! It has to stop!
