Giambattista Valli’s latest haute couture collection is a tulled ode to India

They say global collaboration is older than we think it is, and drawing inspiration in art only pushes it to the next level. During the French Renaissance, Italian artisans skilled in the Tuscan art of scagliola, a technique similar to terrazzo, travelled to Agra to work on the Taj Mahal. Cultural collaborations like these inspired Giambattista Valli’s latest haute couture collection. The Giambattista Valli Haute Couture 27 show, part of Paris Fashion Week from June 24-27, 2024, presented the designer's Fall/Winter 2024/2025 collection.

The mood board was a timeless soirée, with a Mughal miniature here and a Botticelli there. Borrowed petals, reminiscent of floral garlands that Valli saw lined up around the temple towns of India, made it onto the models. As if melting in and out of the fits, they became one with each corset and bustier. Indian musicians played Hindustani classical music on the sitar and the flute as Nayonikaa Shetty and Neelam Gill walked the runway along with a breathtaking cast of global talent. The hair and make-up for the show were done by Pierpaolo Lai and Karin Westerlund, respectively.

The nods to the botanical and spiritual prowess that florals have on India, were endless. Bouquets of blossoms housed themselves within the ensembles, peeking through georgette and chiffon, ruched into tangerine marigolds and coral roses. Fabrics folded and gathered to create a colour burst of a collection, from berry red slit dresses to sunshine yellow veils. Some of the faces were tinted with lilac and cerulean, adding a surreal charm. Unapologetically voluminous silhouettes, adorned with classic Valli touches, held no trails behind.

Valli is known for larger-than-life pieces, layering, and a focus on luxurious fabrics, with an ever-romantic take on haute couture. With this twist on what the world expected to be a quintessentially West Coast collection, he held on to the layered roots and poetic liberty that have always informed his practice. Throughout the show, his dresses were a showstopping celebration of femininity and grace, per usual. It was everything you imagined it to be, with Valli at his inspired best. 

Lead image credit: Getty Images

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