Viviano has gone goth. With a reputation built on vibrant flouncy dresses and sunshine sweetness, Viviano Sue took a darker turn this season. To an eerie soundtrack of stiletto-clad footsteps, the models paced down the black-carpeted runway sporting messy up-dos with Elvira bangs and shiny red lips, wearing high-necked gowns, seductive sheer dresses and ruched skirts, moiré silk jackets, and dramatic bridal veils. It was femme fatale nocturnal glamour, done entirely in a palette of black and white.
Backstage after the show, Sue explained the decision to nix the rainbow. “People imagine Viviano as colorful and fluffy and fun, but we have a lot of details on the clothes, so we made the bold move to remove the colors so you could see them more,” he said. Take the long black coat in look 33, with white roses climbing up the front: “All embroidered by hand!” The white dress in look 12, with its lace trims, fabric ball buttons, and latticed lines down the front, was also another case in point. As well as strengths in craft, the pared back palette highlighted some weaknesses in the fit, which sometimes leaned bulky rather than oversized. Occasionally the fabrics were over-shiny too.
Sue had been inspired by the haute couture of the old masters—Balenciaga, Dior, Schiaparelli—and their work from the 1930s through to the 1970s. “Even now, you look at those clothes and they are still beautiful and never outdated,” he sighed. This appreciation for craft came from a fear of encroaching tech. “I’ve been thinking about how it’s closing in on us, like ChatGPT and AI. It’s really convenient, but it takes away the pressure to think that we had before. What is going to be left if those things take over?”
The brand also made sure to hit some more commercial notes with the asymmetric polo shirts and cropped bomber jackets with sports jersey numbers, which served as an attempt to bring the collection into the present day. The black Chanel-ish tweed set, as comfy-looking as a hoodie, brought the best of both worlds.
