Valentino’s autumn/winter 2021 couture collection: a riot of colour and creativity

Held in the Italian city of Venice, the show was an ode to art and emotion

Valentino haute couture autumn 2021 mixes chartreuse, violet and icy blue

In bubblegum pink, the Valentino haute couture autumn 2021 collection offered a modern take on the sheath dress

A dramatic gown in mustard, for Valentino haute couture autumn 2021

In vivid colours and with huge crinolines, gowns floated down the Valentino haute couture autumn 2021 runway

A gown in rich chocolate brown for Valentino haute couture autumn 2021

A micro-dress becomes a cocoon at the Valentino haute couture show for autumn 2021

For Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture, Philip Treacy created hats decked in ostrich feathers.

Skilfully pleated into the body, this Valentino haute couture dress is finished with sleeves of layered petals

A gossamer-jewelled slip dress is worn with a grand overdress at the Valentino haute couture show for autumn 2021

At Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture, a floor-length cape of cobalt blue is lined with silver shimmer

A puffball-skirted dress in flamingo pink is teamed with feathers of salmon pink at the Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture show

Volume-filled sleeves at the Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture show

A cloud of chartreuse petals for Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture

The Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture show presented a floating gown in dark mulberry worn with dark coral opera sleeves

A Philip Treacy ostrich feather hat appeared with a tailored micro dress, at Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture

At Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture, even men's wear arrives with a raspberry cape, gathered at the neck

A dramatic cape at the Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture show

A micro-puffball-dress in bitter chocolate is worn with a Philip Treacy ostrich feather hat in bright pink at the Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture show

Mixing four shades of red at the Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture show

An ostrich feather menswear look for Valentino autumn 2021 haute couture

Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli unveiled the fashion house's autumn/winter 2021 haute couture collection in Venice on Thursday, and it was an explosion of colour.

Running to an impressive 84 looks for men and women, Piccioli's collection delivered romantic, yet modern silhouettes, nodding to the heritage of the house, while remaining resolutely his own.

Caped trouser suits, trapeze silhouettes, micro-puff ball dresses and mid-calf skirts all swept the runway, culminating in a parade of floating ball gowns, all in an uplifting palette of raspberry, lilac, chartreuse, aubergine, pea green, violet, burnt chocolate and orchid pink.

A caped men's look from Valentino haute couture in tones of raspberry, flamingo pink and fuchsia. Courtesy Valentino

Philip Treacy-crafted wide hats covered in ostrich feathers undulated like jellyfish with every step, while long stoles slid off shoulders and long opera gloves in burnt copper, mustard or arctic blue covered arms.

Piccioli invited 16 artists to collaborate on select looks in the collection, shown in a centuries-old shipyard in Venice, to echo the cultured and artistic history of the city.

With the firmly held belief that “painting is to contemporary art what haute couture is to fashion”, Piccioli encouraged the artists to draw, sketch and paint designs. They were then brought to life by the atelier, with one seemingly simple look covered in fluid pen strokes, which turned out to be hand-stitching on silk so delicate it took almost 900 hours to complete.

A silk dress covered in artwork by Benni Bosetto, now hand-stitched into the garment, in a process that took more than 900 hours to complete. Courtesy Valentino

Piccioli is a master of conjuring emotions, through the sheer visual beauty of his shows and the soaring live music he selects to accompany them.

With the voice of British singer Cosima echoing out across the water, the show, with its rich, decadent and ultimately joyful colours, felt like the end of one thing and the start of another.

Against the dark interior of the 500-year-old building, it seemed to offer a reminder that nothing stays for ever, and this, too, shall pass. With the dark menace of the pandemic still hovering over us all, this dazzling, astonishing and exquisitely beautiful collection feels like something akin to a rebirth.