Spanning across the globe, eight stylists reimagine the collection using their own signature style and in the context of their city
Spanning across the globe, eight stylists reimagine the collection using their own signature style and in the context of their city
When Unboxing Valentino was unveiled in February, the new vision’s move away from excess and into a new ethos of unbridled individuality made waves for the brand. Now, the collection is celebrating this focus on deconstruction and creativity with nine interpretations by brilliant stylists including newly retired Law Roach, Rebecca Corbin-Murray, Lorenzo Posocco, and others that will unfold in windows around the world and online.
Unboxing celebrates the limitlessness of creative impulse and execution while making the undeniable statement that within simplicity there is vast complexity – and who better to employ to interpret the collection than those who speak their language? Spanning from New York to Paris to Dubai, eight stylists will reimagine the collection using their own signature style and in the context of their city, creating window displays that harmonize the collection and the heritage of the Maison. Valentino’s Toile Iconographe pattern serves as the cipher for this movement, embodying the understated elegance the brand has shifted into and emphasizing the paradoxical and complex message of the collection. This is furthered by the collection’s genderless approach, precision tailoring, and monochromatic looks, all curating a timeless wardrobe for the individual wearer.
The windows start off in New York, where Law Roach’s visual vernacular revolves around a striking, all-encompassing red box. The stylist pays homage to Mr. Valentino’s SS 1992 campaign was captured by Steven Meisel, focusing on clean lines and retro red and black. Across the pond, Rebecca Corbin-Murray projects the vibrancy of blooming through ten flower visuals, inviting contrast between the brand’s essential silhouettes. Continuing in Paris, Clement Lomellini focuses on shades of yellow and torn paper backdrops, staging drama against black gowns to represent the feeling of absolutely needing to open what is under that wrapping paper immediately. And in Milan, Lorenzo Posocco paints a scene of everyday life, in which mannequins settle in amongst street scenes and appear to engage in conversation with one another. The stylist even takes the window one step further by utilizing a cubed video screen to showcase Milan’s street scenes, placing onlookers right into the homage.
In Dubai, Anna Dello Russo creates the feel of a fish tank with aquamarine and gold hues that perfectly compliment the tropical looks of feathers, fluff, gloves, and bags. Almost as if passersby are walking by an aquarium exhibit, fantasy reigns supreme. Meanwhile, in Shanghai Mix Wei opts for a more understated approach, focusing on the Toile Iconographe design incorporated with Chinese painting through scrolls that hang from the ceiling. All in their own color, five looks accompany the scrolls, breaking down complexity into the simplest elements that make up all curations. Similarly, Geum Nam Hwang titles her Seoul installation “Unbox Me”, interpreting a range of blocks as a metaphor for disassembled elements focusing on pale, neutral shades. Finally, in the streets of Tokyo, Masataka Hattori creates a natural enclave inspired by raw materials in an homage to sensibility and the relationship between the natural and the constructed.
Regardless of location, shoppers can discover the collection online in a digital ninth window that displays mannequins amongst a backdrop of Valentino’s purest essence of intense red. In addition to the window displays, in-store activations will include styling sessions, GameOn Technology, and an ad hoc Spotify playlist, all allowing for further exploration and immersion within the Unboxing collection.
Dedicated to removing the inessential, Unboxing Valentino expands its creative community through worldwide window activations, joining in on global conversation through fashion. Passed from person to person and city to city, Valentino’s pieces are a collection of styles and stories formed from time, place, and personality.
