Valentino reaches back to the Renaissance

Who hasn’t fantasized about wearing a Renaissance-era power suit? I certainly have, but if you’re an haute couture line, you can put your fantasies into production and show them to the world.

In 2016, designer Maria Grazia Chiuri presented her last collection for Dior, and it gave a nod to the Sixteenth- Century dress styles, but this time she focused on styles typically worn by men of the era. Vouge has the entire collection if you want to see the full looks, but you will have to sign up via e-mail to read the article. Or, you can view the slideshow here at Fashionista without having to register. Women’s Wear Daily also has some images of the collection at their site.

See the collection in motion here at You Tube:

Official Valentino Video:

There’s just something about those three looks that make me think about a nice structured blazer. I’m a little heavier up top, and I wore a lot of blazers when I worked as an archivist, but of course, nothing as embellished as the Valentino jackets. Click on the links above to see the full looks, which I’m assuming you could mix and match. Putting the matching tops and bottoms would be too much for me, but I love the shape of the arms and shoulders in these three looks.

I’m a little bit obsessed with how haute couture recycles Renaissance styling, so if you want to see more images, head over to my Pinterest board and just drool away.