Art, architecture, fashion, politics,
philosophy...everything changed during the Renaissance. It was a time of
transition that spanned across centuries and borders, bringing Europe into a
modern era as it left the Gothic and Medieval behind.
Portrait of Maria de' Medici by Bronzino 1550s
With Florentine families like the Medici
family leading the charge in politics, business and the arts, the Renaissance
flourished. Hundreds of years later, their legacy remains for many things,
including acting as patrons for great artists like Botticelli and Bronzino. Revolutionary changes were made during the
Renaissance, so its influence is bound to show up as it did in the Red
Valentino Fall 2017 collection.
A touch of the High Renaissance is seen
with the snake detailing on the handbags in the collection. With a snake
crossing over the torso as the purse strap, it’s almost a mirror image of
Botticelli’s
painting of Simonetta Vespucci, the great beauty from Florence.
The snake winding around Simonetta’s necklace has various interpretations
including a symbol of her wisdom or her early death. Could the snake from Red Valentino mean something similar?
With the use of rich colors and heavy
brocades that have a flat or boxy quality, the Red Valentino collection alludes
to the Mannerist period of the Renaissance.
Styles of the time were
characterized by heavy garments, angular lines and full coverage for women.
Though likely a knit fabric, the
treatment of quilting and patchwork in the above dress creates a stiff effect that is much like
the brocades.
Portrait of Eleanora of Toledo by Bronzino, 1543
Women's gowns often had squared necklines, as seen
in here with the use of contrasting fabrics on the chest to hint at the geometric shape.
A bit of menswear inspiration is seen in
the outwear of the collection. The black boxy like forms resemble The Portrait
of a Young Man.
The ruffle and gathering details mimic the texture of the
slashing technique of the Renaissance, where outer fabric was slashed to allow
the under layer to show through.
Perfect for cold weather, some of the dresses
have a fur lined collar. The flowing lines and combination with the collar
could have found inspiration in the long gowns and wide fur collars that older men of the
Renaissance would wear.
The references in the Red Valentino
designs vary across decades, genders and classes from the Renaissance. But the
collection proves the cyclical nature of fashion and how the old continues to
inspire the new.
Runway Photos: Vogue.com
