True to form, Pierpaolo Piccioli’s latest Valentino couture collection cemented the designer’s place as fashion’s greatest colourist. Sauntering through the maison’s lavish salons in the heart of Paris’s Place Vendôme, models came dressed in a medley of the most glorious hues. Shades of raspberry walked alongside lime greens and rich reds, aquarium gravel blues collided with butter-kissed yellows and delicious oranges.

Piccioli’s couture is not only a feast for the eyes, but an adventure for all the senses. The Valentino atelier crafted a collection that doubled as a textural buffet. The team mastered silk, satin and wool to resemble fur, feathers and exotic skins. What appeared to be a croc coat, for instance, was hand-embossed leather, and elegant faux furs were actually crafted from organza.

The maison’s trusted couture clients will undoubtedly be drawn to the collection’s boxy parkas and swing skirt combinations, alongside the high-waisted trousers, relaxed suit jackets and vests with scooped necklines. Where Piccioli thrives is his ability to collide understated elegance with serious show-stopping power. Think floor-sweeping capes made from a bed of silk roses, and opulent skirts and coats that, at a glance, looked tinsel-like yet were actually crafted from strands of metal. It made for a dazzling highlight amongst this season’s couture shows.

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