Valentino revealed on Tuesday that it will hold a coed spring-summer 2021 show in Milan on Sept. 27. The city’s fashion week is slated to kick off on Sept. 22 and close on Sept. 28 with a number of younger brands.
“Paris is the city where we have always hosted our shows and that truly embodies Valentino DNA,” said creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. “The current situation has forced us to take an unusual decision. I believe that, in this moment in time, it is of paramount importance to stay grounded and focused and to work on tasks. I feel energized when I can work on ideas and this is the time for ideas to spread and grow. Milano is a new opportunity, a great project that I am developing with my teams with the aim of working around the idea of identity.”
The company has yet to disclose the location or the time slot for the show.
This is the first time that Valentino will show its women’s collection in Milan, decamping from Paris. During founder Valentino Garavani’s tenure, men’s collections were presented in Milan in the 1985- 2007 period.
With former co-creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, Piccioli unveiled Valentino’s men’s fall 2012 and spring 2013 collections in Florence at Pitti Uomo. Since January 2013, Paris was selected as the location to showcase the brand’s men’s lineups.
“In the current scenario, we need to make decisions in advance to protect our first resources, our people, and to allow our brand to remain relevant exploring alternative opportunities,” stated chief executive officer Jacopo Venturini, who joined Valentino in June, succeeding Stefano Sassi. “This is why we feel that it would be more ethical to produce the new show in Italy, in Milano. We strongly believe that this project will contribute to underline the importance of being part of a fashion system represented by both the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.”
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the brand’s couture presentation as well. Piccioli exceptionally showed Valentino’s fall collection in Rome in July with a performance called “Of Grace and Light” at the Cinecittà studios outside the Italian capital. The event included a video filmed by Nick Knight, followed by a presentation of 15 elongated white gowns, some as high as 16 feet.
Italy’s fashion body recently released a provisional calendar of Milan Fashion Week which will blend more than 50 digital events and around 28 physical shows staged by brands ranging from Fendi – also opting for a coed format for the first time – to Prada, which will see the debut of Raf Simons as co-creative director with Miuccia Prada. Also on the schedule are such names as and Alberta Ferretti, Max Mara, Versace, Emporio Armani, Etro, Salvatore Ferragamo and MSGM.