The Valentino haute couture show Wednesday earned a standing ovation from Valentino himself. It was a sure sign the turbulent times that followed the retirement last year of the label's designer, Valentino Garavani, have come to an end, and that the house has found its footing with the newly appointed design team of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. For the spring-summer collection, the duo drew on the label's hallmark elements, from oversized bows and swirling roses to gowns in - you guessed it - Valentino red. "I am very, very happy, the 76-year-old designer told reporters after the show, which was held beneath an ornate dome at a lecture hall at Paris' Sorbonne University. "They captured the spirit house and (adapted it) to today's world, added Giancarlo Giammetti, the designer's longtime business partner. "In each piece I found a bit of Valentino. This is why I loved all of them. The display featured short, silk coats, A-line cocktail dresses in jewel tones and long, lean evening gowns that dripped with rhinestones. It was pure 1960s elegance, with a splash of saturated color. When, at the end of the show, all the models appeared together for a final lap, the round mirrored catwalk looked like a color-wheel. One standout piece was a beige cape-coat, its Nehru collar covered in twinkling blue zircon crystals. The look was worn with matching sparkling blue pumps. A clingy, red long-sleeve gown with a sunpleated bodice drew a hearty round of applause from Valentino and Giammetti. The display was the first by Chiuri and Piccioli, who were named in October to replace Alessandra Facchinetti, the day after she showed her second ready-to-wear collection. The label said it was ending its collaboration with Facchinetti - who replaced Valentino after his retirement last year - "due to differences. Chiuri and Piccioli had long worked on Valentino's lucrative accessories line, and their appointment was received with enthusiasm by the retired designer.
