Valentino: Spring 2012

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli honed in on Valentino's signature dreamy elegance for Spring 2012 with a parade of delicately embroidered and embellished lace gowns and dresses. The aesthetic was perfectly in tune with the house — the kind of beautifully femme gowns we'll anxiously await to spot on the red carpet. Then, a few surprises: models in slick Spring leather — some with chiffon detailing — and relaxed, minimalist strapless dresses in blush pinks and daffodil yellows that spoke perfectly to Spring, and were a refreshing change from the signature black, blush, and Valentino red. It's a collection that walks the line between the girlish and the womanly, glamorous and accessible. Even the footwear walks that line with beautiful metallic, flat thong sandals, and flat espadrilles covered in — what else? — lace.