Paris Couture: Giambattista Valli

Flowers seems to be a couture trend this season, Dior had floor-to-ceiling blooms, and Giambattista Valli used it as his inspirations for the autumn/winter 2012 Haute Couture collection, which was filled with florals, peplums, lots of ruffles, and striking butterflies placed on the models’ lips.

An enchanted woodland was Valli’s creative starting point and his third Haute Couture had nature at its core, with a colour palette of forest green and rich magenta shades, which complemented the Monet-inspired blossoming floral prints.

The silhouettes at times had a distinct feel of Christian Dior’s 1950s looks, while others had high and ruffled Elizabethan collars, overall, this was a collection that clearly had the red-carpet in mind with lots of fluid and silk evening gowns and ruffled cocktail dresses.

The Italian-born designer, made his first official appearance on the couture catwalk last season, having previously been only a guest member of the calendar. Designers are typically only given the official appellation after they have showed couture for five years, but the Paris Fédération Française de la Couture decided that the standard of Valli's work was so high that he was eligible early for the prestigious honour.