Zandra Rhodes creates prints for Pierpaolo Piccioli solo debut at Valentino
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London - Veteran British designer Zandra Rhodes has been tapped as Pierpaolo Piccioli collaborator for his debut solo collection for Italian fashion house Valentino following the exit of his long-term partner Maria Grazia Chiuri who left to take up the design helm at Dior.
The famed pink-hair designer created a series of exclusive prints for Valentino Spring collection. Unveiled this weekend during Paris Fashion Week, the prints are said to be a reimagining of Hieronymus Bosch "Garden of Earthly Delights". The resulting collection, which received a standing ovation from its guests, including Bosch's symbols such as fish and birds,familiar silhouette and vivid pinks and reds.
"They look wonderful. I’ve just this second come out of the showroom with Pierpaolo," said Rhodes to WWD the day before the show. "You can see they’re Zandra Rhodes, but you can also see that they’ve been interpreted specially for them. I love the fact that he wanted to use me for his first solo collection. It’s very feminine, it’s very gorgeous, I feel very honored."
Piccioli himself visited Rhodes in her design studio in London with Valentino's design team to select which motifs, prints and patterns he wished to incorporate in the collection, such as her "wiggles, palms and magical animals and magical birds." The collaboration is said to be something of a rarity for the British designer, who only has one ongoing collaboration with fair trade fashion retailer People Tree.
"In general I only do prints for collections I do, but I so admire what [Valentino has] been doing, it just felt right."