Valentino S/S 2016 Paris

[marcBarna]

nowfashion.com

 

[StoneSkipper]

I really, really, really wish there was a different take on this African theme, because this whole image of Africa has been so exhausted at this point. "Oooh, beading! Fringes! Vivid colors! Fringed necklaces! Giraffes! Tie-dye! Dreadlocks! How exotic! How unmistakably African!" It's very stereotypical, and I would've loved to see a little less of that. Also, 90 looks? Are you kidding me?

Those complaints aside, I do think this is absolutely gorgeous. Very delicate, intricate work on the dresses, especially at the end. It's really beautiful and desirable.

 

[marcBarna]

nowfashion.com

 

[Nomar]

A lot of this I don't like. The colours are also meh.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

cornrows and dread locks...

 

[Marc10]

So ridiculously stunning. Really, there's nothing left to say, just beauty all around, from start to finish. They always deliver.

However, I do agree with some of the comments. Really wish fashion would just STOP with this "Tribal African" shenanigan. Even though I think here they played with far more creativity and grace (apart from the stupid hair) than we generally see elsewhere.

 

[gazebo]

 

[Nepenthes]

The clothes are gorgeously beautiful but fashion needs to stop with this stereotypical take on the "African, exotic, tribal" theme. Also cornrows and dreadocks on mostly white girls... And now people are gonna be like "Oh how edgy and high fashion"! I was cringing so hard..

 

[Nymphaea]

Nice nice nice nice and nice, but that's it. Oh another tribal collection?! Where are the bone nose rings?
It's just like Chanel, gorgeous fabrics, but with the same silhouettes, just a bit nicer and more feminine than Chanel.
The most noteworthy of the whole show was that Maria has blond hair now.

 

[anlabe32]

Also cornrows and dreadocks on mostly white girls.....

So what? They aren't allowed to wear that? Cause I see them on the street all the time on white girls and i've heard never heard a black person say anything about it..

 

[elle_gb]

Almost like couture work.The show was stunning.

 

[constanceMafioso]

Valentino is really a pleasant surprise.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

So what? They aren't allowed to wear that? Cause I see them on the street all the time on white girls and i've heard never heard a black person say anything about it..

oh dear... you create a collection inspired by african tribes, cast a majority white models and then you choose their hair to be dreadlocks and cornrows. A hair style created by black people that is also seen as a negative connotation when worn by black people, yet when its on a white woman its seen as "trendy" "new" and "edgy". So no, its not okay... especially from designers who are so hesitant about diversity until what, a season ago?

 

[Nepenthes]

^I was about to reply but you pretty much nailed it. These conversations tend to center around how white people are entitled to do whatever they want with their hair but it's not about that at all. It's about the negative impact of cultural appropriation on people of colour.

 

[Bahiyya]

So what? They aren't allowed to wear that? Cause I see them on the street all the time on white girls and i've heard never heard a black person say anything about it..

Expand the black friends collection, maybe . POC in the US military just had to do a major pushback as those very same hairstyles were deemed "inappropriate".

Anyhoo, I feel uncomfortable with the entire thing. WTF is the point of those West African masks on the accessories. What does it mean to these people, beyond aesthetics? If you're going to go there have a damn good reason outside of "grace" or whatever other trifling stereotypical words people use to describe "African" culture while at the same time comfortably marginalising the people from season to season to season on the catwalk, in the campaigns, in the magazines, in the offices in the _______.

I just wanna read what the designers have to say about this....

 

[masquerade]

I tend to be pretty ambivalent about Valentino and this collection isn't really any different. I definitely see what other people are saying about the African influence. A lot of the collection seems to be walking the thin line between appropriation and influence, but the addition cornrows on non-black models and some of the imagery makes me wonder if it went too far towards appropriation and mockery. I will be interested to see how the public responds in the next few days. Will Black Twitter go in on it?

As a totally different critique, does anyone else think this looks like a winter collection? I know these guys love long sleeves year round, but some of the fabrics look really heavy.

 

[TaylorBinque]

I really, really, really wish there was a different take on this African theme, because this whole image of Africa has been so exhausted at this point. "Oooh, beading! Fringes! Vivid colors! Fringed necklaces! Giraffes! Tie-dye! Dreadlocks! How exotic! How unmistakably African!" It's very stereotypical, and I would've loved to see a little less of that. Also, 90 looks? Are you kidding me?

Those complaints aside, I do think this is absolutely gorgeous. Very delicate, intricate work on the dresses, especially at the end. It's really beautiful and desirable.

I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[MulletProof]

Immune to the gowns with the loud prints but this is such a beautiful collection... as I was scrolling down most of these pieces seem like the kind of gem you buy just because it's special and it has function and you save through generations, it's so identifiable but rather timeless too in the way it's all crafted.

 

[liberty33r1b]

this collection really has personality, so great

 

[reese06]

So what? They aren't allowed to wear that? Cause I see them on the street all the time on white girls and i've heard never heard a black person say anything about it..

I think you may have missed the point. While beautiful, I'm somewhat distracted by the white washed casting for such a cliche collection. Why not go all the way?