Pierpaolo Piccioli’s clubwear collection for Valentino seemed to have settled on a collective longing for joy and nostalgia. There’s a lot of dressing up going nowhere. Thriving 1980 “rubber chicken” fundraising dinners are a thing of the past, and dance culture has largely spawned supper clubs and venues like Le Palace in Paris and Blitz Club in London.
Markarian’s Alexandra O’Neill still had a night on the town in mind when designing her fall lineup. The designer, who recently lost her grandmother, is thinking about the stories her beloved grandma has told her over the years. In the 30 and 50 years her grandparents loved cutting rugs in the Zanzibar Club.
With an eclectic time stamp, the idea of a big night out becomes the theme of this collection, shown in a West Village house, full of glamour. A royal blue sequined open-back dress and pant both exude ’60 studio50 vibes. Print. The draping of other looks referenced the ’30 years, a decade many designers poured into this season. “It feels good because I think people are interested in showing off their bodies, but in a more retro way,” Markarian said, “and I think the 30 silhouette is the body -con.”
There’s no real thread to this series other than being pretty. A gold sequin dress with ’60’s Rabanne vibes and a lovely off-the-shoulder cocktail dress with metallic floral jacquard side draping didn’t really echo each other. But two of the most successful designs aren’t retro at all. With soft drape combined with embellishments, the all-white Body Touch number looks modern and classy.
