For his first standalone Menswear collection, Pierpaolo Piccioli has sought to manoeuvre the Valentino man away from the ever popular camou theme, still so integral to this house. It is an understandable and obvious move, yet it has been executed so cleverly.
Once again, he has taken a theme, both popular and associated with the working class, that evokes strength, masculinity, collectiveness and given it a luxurious twist... That theme: PUNK!
It is a considered and wholly topical move. The global political horizon is temperamental at best. Political and civilised anarchy is bubbling under, reasoned people are looking to rebel against authority that disenchants them. Antidisestablishmentarianism is rife.
Honing his fashion message, Piccioli sought a prominent and integral figure in the British punk movement, Jamie Reid. Reid, a noted artist initially famous for designing the album artwork for The Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols and subsequent singles God Save the Queen and Anarchy in the U.K., has often been credited with shaping the image of the punk rock scene, particularly in the UK.
This collaboration sees Piccioli utilise Reid’s own purpose-built, custom slogans across his FW17 menswear collection. Phrases including 'Beauty is a birthright ' and 'Reclaim your heritage' are emblazoned across jackets, t-shirts, sweaters and trainers in Reid’s iconic ransom note collage art style. The result is a sub-collection that references the climate of the current political and social landscapes with its hard-edged aesthetic, daring to give voice to the global underclass.
