Valli fills fall runway show with tweeds at Paris Fashion Week

PARIS: Giambattista Valli switched things up for his fall runway show at Paris Fashion Week, taking a step back from his signature, airy floral styles to focus on tweeds, which he also offered for men.

Models marched down the sparse setting, a hallway in the Palais de Tokyo contemporary art museum, wearing jumpsuits, long coats and dresses in tweed fabrics, mostly black or ivory and woven with gold thread.

The show opened with a black, sleeveless jumpsuit cinched at the waist with a gold belt, and worn over a white t-shirt.

Further shaking the fabric from its traditional twin-set role, Valli worked the material into long overcoats, loose jackets, mini-dresses and a bright, red jumpsuit.

There were also white jeans, the hems chopped off, paired with a glittering floral sequined top in one instance, and a long, collarless tweed coat in another -- both worn by male models.

Fancy party dresses were included in the lineup, offered in bright colors -- hot pink, red and purple -- with neat piles of bows decorating the waist.

Popular with the red carpet set, and known for voluminous, tulle dresses, Valli broadened his fan base with a collaboration with H&M in 2019.

Front row guests included Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, in a glittering gold overcoat covered in bright turquoise feathers and singer Ciara, who wore a black, sheer gown.

Fashion industry figures Anna Wintour and Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, also attended the show.

The label has financial backing from the Pinault family holding Groupe Artemis.