Alessandro Michele takes the reins at the legendary maison of Valentino—with breathtaking results.
A look from Valentino’s chic new collection.
When renowned designer Alessandro Michele was announced as the new creative director of Valentino, the news set the fashion world buzzing. How would Michele’s distinctively youthful, street-ready style translate to the iconic Italian brand? The answer, says Chicago boutique owner and style guru Ikram Goldman, is: flawlessly. “Only someone with a very finely trained eye can take a house as old as Valentino and insert their own vision while maintaining and honoring the brand’s elegance and couture essence, and Alessandro Michele did exactly that for the house,” enthuses Goldman. “The clothes go from daywear to eveningwear in the most playful, fun, respectful way for a Valentino garment: Gorgeous day dresses that are thirty but very quirky at the same time; magnificent evening dresses; but also beautiful denim, the coziest knitwear, and the it bag for the season—hand-stitched, grommeted, fringed suede bags that are so ’70s but so today.”
The label’s fringed and grommeted bag is one of the season’s musthave accessories.
Sums up Goldman simply, “These are timeless clothes. You want to build on your wardrobe? You buy Valentino. You want great pieces? You buy Valentino. Not only is Alessandro Michele continuing the house, he’s bringing it into today in a way that is so modern and wearable. He’s really spectacular.” 15 E. Huron St., ikram.com
Chicago fashion queen Ikram Goldman
Photography by: model photo and grommeted bag photo COURTESY OF VALENTINO; Ikram Goldman photo by MARIA PONCE
