Pierpaolo Piccioli's monochromatic marvels have come to an end at Valentino
Pierpaolo Piccioli, the man who put Valentino Pink on the map, is parting ways with the storied Italian house after seven years serving as its Creative Director.
Piccioli took to Instagram, writing: "This is the beauty that we have created: life, hope, opportunity and gratitude, and my people, my heart, and the love that gives you all the possibilities of the world, especially those that you could not imagine alone.
"Thanks to Mr Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti who have blessed me with their trust and thanks to every single person who made this possible in one way or another, it was a privilege and an honour to share my journey, and my dreams, with you."
The designer was born in the Italian coastal town of Nettuno, later studying at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome. By 1990, the younger designer entered the big leagues joining Fendi.
Piccioli joined Valentino as an accessory designer in 1999. By 2008, Piccioli along with Maria Grazia Chiuri were appointed co-creative directors after Alessandra Facchinetti stepped down. In 2016, Piccioli took over as the one and only creative director after Maria Grazia Churri set her sights on Dior.
His collections spanned womenswear, menswear and couture, all with an emphasis on classic designs and in most recent years - monochrome colours. Discussing his fascination with monochrome, Piccioli told AnOther Magazine: "Monochrome artists used to paint everything in one colour in order to give visibility to other things. To deliver different things, different emotions.
"For me, it’s like a black and white picture book, after a chapter, you understand. And you go deeper into surface, the hands, the expression, the emotion. So I wanted to use one colour in order to highlight the idea of fashion as cut, design, silhouette, shape, volumes. Patterns, textures. You’re obliged to see more."
Piccioli found his footing at the luxury house in Autumn Winter 2022 when became the talk of the town after sending pink-clad models down the runway, later coining this shade "Valentino Pink". This history-book-worthy era at Maison Valentino is certainly one Piccioli will be remembered for.
Earlier this month, Piccioli presented his final collection for Valentino during Paris Fashion Week. Amidst a colourful sea of runways, it stood out. The Italian fashion house, which has become synonymous with pink, instead made the bold decision to present an entirely black collection.
Valentino AW24 (Vianney Le Caer/AP)
Jacopo Venturini, Chief Executive Officer at Valentino, said: "I am grateful to Pierpaolo for his role as creative director and for his vision, commitment and creativity that have brought the Maison Valentino to what it stands for today."
Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Chairman of Valentino, added: "We extend our deepest gratitude to Pierpaolo for writing an important chapter in the history of the Maison Valentino. His contribution over the past 25 years will leave an indelible mark."
A "new creative organisation" is to be announced soon. While no formal announcement has been made about Piccioli’s successor, rumours have already been swirling – with former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele’s name taking the cake for most mentions.
Piccioli is yet to reveal what he will do next.
