The collection started spare, with slipdresses in silk panama, the seams hand-tacked to leave a few centimeters of skin exposed. On other long-sleeve dresses in solid colors, seaming details around the neckline were the only decoration. Chiuri and Piccioli wouldn’t have made bad minimalists, but that’s not the heritage of the house they inherited. Instead, there were hand-painted black flowers on the white lace of a long dress; snakeskin cut into long strips and affixed to the organza of a shirtdress or a clear plastic trench (Deneuve would approve of that); a pair of Valentino red gowns; and, to finish, a long-sleeve number in blush-colored silk embroidered with tiny white beads in botanical patterns. Cinderella, eat your heart out.

OCTOBER 2, 2012PARIS

By Nicole Phelps – style.com