Valentino SS16, National Geographic and Finding Safety in Italy
Valentino leaves its Italian roots aside this SS16 season taking us to rural Africa to Amboseli National Park in Kenya. From carved ebony, to beads and leather, African tribal prints and peacock feathers, Valentino’s SS16 ad campaign makes for a striking and memorable collection both for the eyes and the soul.
Like in many cases, mixing the ordinary with the unexpected always makes for a delightful ending and this advert is no exception. The fashion label commissioned award winning photo journalist Steve McCurry, known best for his illustrious National Geographic cover, Afghan Girl, to shoot the advert and most importantly, tell a chilling story.
Bringing emotion to the forefront, creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, in tandem with McCurry, captured the power of bravery, new experiences and the undeniable beauty of global diversity.
The Valentino SS16 collection embodies strength and dignity and is directly influenced by the native African attire – a recent sight on Italian soil and for Valentino creative directors themselves. A color palette of black, ivory, ebony, beige, dark red and forest green create a regal, majestic kind of magic that only a Valentino piece could promise – the absolute definition of luxury and storytelling.
McCurry describes the native people as “beautiful, elegant and statuesque” and candidly captures many of them alongside the models in the images.
Chiuri and Piccioli tell WWD, “We really believe that cross-cultural understanding improves our cultures…and with fashion it is possible to open eyes to learn something.”
Valentino SS16 and Africa: backstory
For more than a year, tens of thousands of refugees from Senegal, Nigeria, Eritrea, Mali, Gambia, and elsewhere have been making the journey across the Mediterranean to southern Italy for the opportunity of a better life.
The inspiration for this collection yes, but also a chilling story to tell with such elegance, grace and an undoubted respect. As homage to these brave souls, the Valentino SS16 collection is a direct result of the gorgeous fusion between Italian and African traditions casted from this catastrophe.
Said best by Valentino Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri,
“We probably feel that the greatest privilege in doing our work is that fashion can give a message. We think every person coming here is an individual, and we can show that we can improve ourselves by understanding other cultures.”
All Valentino SS16 new arrivals are on sale now on Italist.
About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.