Patch Piccioli

Valentino ushers in a new menswear era with Piccioli

- Darren Ho

THE GREAT ENGLISH MOTORING engineer and designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who was also monikered “the Greek god” by his motoring contemporaries once made a reference to the concept of design by committee, saying “the camel is a horse designed by committee”. Nature’s misgivings aside, he was referring less to the functionality of the camel than its design and form. But the designer of the Morris Minor and the MINI opined that design was the vision of an individual and nobody could please everyone and come up with something good.

That’s certainly why fashion design luminaries over the years have stood as the icons of their maisons. When it comes to fashion design by committee, only one house has ever succeeded: Martin Margiela.

At Valentino, the former duo of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli led menswear and womenswear respectively. Now that Piccioli is free to shape both lines, this seasons’ creations provide our first glimpse at a Valentino envisioned fully by one person.