With a bounce of their blow-dried, lacquered hairdos, a crowd of blonde bella donnas stepped out on the runway, decked head-to-gold-booted-toe in Valentino s vision of uptown chic. The designers classic themes were out in force in a collection that played on his reputation for ultra-feminine tailoring, and paid homage to his rich archive of eveningwear.
For day, Valentino s coats, prettily cinched at the waist and full in the skirt, were trimmed with deep bands of fur. He showed city-proper tweed and camel and added excitement to suits with long, fluid pleated skirts by slitting them to show a flash of leg. He even nodded to the biker trend of the season by cutting the most curvaceous leather jackets in town. But Valentino s woman is no streetwise toughie. She prefers to shine at all times, which is why her accessories—boots, bags, gloves and metallic leaf-shaped belts—came in gold, gold and more gold. For dinner, she loves a black lace blouse with poetic sleeves, a cute tiered taffeta smock and a lovely high-waisted coat, fastened under the bust with a black satin bow. She s even happier when given license to go all out for grand evening events. Valentino is at hand to offer every glam option in the book, from floor length gold-sequined gowns, through stately black taffeta, right up to the eye-popping classic red dresses that closed his show in the time-honored fashion.
