There was a bit of surrealism and escapism to Pierpaolo Piccioli's latest collection Valentino, as were Asian inspired prints that helped convey the idea of peaceful solitude. But Piccioli is all about activity and sportswear so there were plenty of sporty elements to the collection from the activity-ready sneakers to the roomy and cropped pants to the outerwear ready to take on the elements. But it was the softer garments that garnered the most attention, they conveyed serenity with their pleasing color palettes and ease of wear while the dragon motifs and expansive vistas brought escapism and a surreal aspect to the collection the balanced out the sportier aspects. What was not seen here were many tailored garments - though when one walks into a Valentino boutique, there will surely be plenty of RTW tailored offerings but those are not nearly as exciting as these clothes on the runway.

Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli has offered some great collaborations in the past, including Moncler. For FW19, there were two: Birkenstock and Undercover. The result, in combination with a new show space, kicked off a different aesthetic for Valentino, it seemed a bit more formal than usual - not a camo pattern in sight! Instead, stark, monochromatic layers were countered with UFO motifs and Beethoven's visage seen on great coats and knits, as well. The very limited edition Birkenstock x Valentino footwear will only be available in some 20 locations worldwide and will sell for about quadruple what a normal pair of Birkenstock goes for. Talk about high fashion! For the main Valentino, it really was much more sombre than usual and that likely had something to do with highlighting the collaborations this season, especially the one with Undercover which offered such vibrancy. The beautiful outerwear was, as usual, a highlight while the Valentino name could be seen emblazoned across the chest and a Valentino-red crossbody bag looked as covetable as anything else on the runway!

After years of designers, journalists and other fashion insiders lamenting about the rapid pace of fashion seems to not have made much of a difference as menswear is slowly catching up to the increasing number of collections. Here, Valentino presents its Pre-Fall 2019 collection in Tokyo and Pierpaolo Piccioli and the result is sure to foreshadow the French maison's FW19 collection, which will debut in January 2019. For Pre-Fall, Piccioli offers loungey silhouettes in mostly monochromatic looks, starting with the signature Valentino-red on suits while later looks offered a bit of tailoring in all-black or with wisps of red or a singular boxy suit in a moss-y hue. For the most part, it seems the male Valentino customer is devouring these sporty designs, including the accessories from bags to shoes to eyewear. Also of note are the collaborations Piccioli has struck up, most notably with Moncler, which have continued to this collection.

Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli took branding and logos to a new level today at the Parisian label's Spring/Summer 2019 runway show. There was nary a garment without some form of Valentino branding, from the iconic circular 'V' logo to the name itself showing up as pattern (from checkerboard to argyle to chevron). This combined with a strong cast of people of color wearing these inspired-from-the-streets looks of baggy tracksuits, oversized bombers and gender-neutral garments. Though Valentino is one of the most venerable and highly regarded high fashion labels in the world, this urban and street-friendly effort from Piccioli felt authentic and that might have to do with the aforementioned cast, who seem like the type of men and women who would actually wear these clothes could they afford it. And that, friends, is the rub of high fashion.

Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli knows a cash cow when he sees one and so that's why Valentino's now-signature Rockstuds appear on stunningly tailored overcoats and camo makes a cameo in nearly every collection, irrespective of the season. This season, there's the collaborative collection of puffers with Moncler that's sure to drive foot traffic to try on these shiny puffers, especially the ones that are Valentino-red. Though commercial success is important for a maison's survival, so is relevance. There was nary a suit to be seen on the runway and that's purposeful since Piccioli knows that traditional tailored clothing is on the way out. His solution this season? Tailored sweats. Many, though not all, of the pants seen on the runway are oh-so-comfortable sweatpants that one can wear to work because they're neat and tailored but then to the gym or a night out. Lastly, it wouldn't be a fall/winter collection without talking about the coats, which were stunning and offered something for everyone from rockstars (those Rockstuds, natch) to businessmen (austere Chesterfields) to arty men with cash to spare, did you see the intricately embroidered coats, some in a tiger print or in floral? Piccioli has blossomed since taking over the creative position at Valentino as a one-man show.

Since his design separation from Maria Grazia Chiuri, Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli has created much more urbane collection for the Parisian maison, focusing less on tailored suits and more on tracksuits. This could very well be because of the current trends in menswear. However, we posit that it's a concerted effort by Piccioli to offer more dressed-down collections. Take, for example, the utter lack of a tie this season or that the shirts that were offered, slightly oversized with rounded shoulders, had what resembled a priest's stole hanging from the neck. Going back to the tracksuits, they were slouchy, some with African patterns supplementing the design while sneakers, denim and a plethora of accessories rounded out the very commercial collection.

Pierpaolo Piccioli's solo collections for Valentino have begun to show what kind of influence his former co-designer Maria Grazia Chiuri had on the collections. Valentino under Piccioli has been decidedly more egalitarian and less formal. Fall/Winter 2017 is a prime example: every outfit was shown with sneakers, even the final look, a tuxedo. The tailoring was also a little looser and pants were also noticeably more athletic minded, many of which looked like high end track pants. The outerwear was where the formal (and dapper) made cameos. Capes are still a thing at Valentino, like a rosy pink number, while the more traditional coats like peacoats and topcoats were looser with rounded shoulders. There was also nary a tie to be seen, instead most looks came accessorized with a comically skinny bowtie, as if Piccioli was poking fun at the notion of dressing up in today's world, where the writing is truly on the wall that the traditional suit-and-tie culture is fading out and fast. Valentino is just another prime example of high fashion reacting to this new reality in menswear.

David Bailey captures a black and white campaign story for Valentino's Fall/Winter 2016 collection, starring Bradley Phillips, Djavan Mandoula, Harold Vente, Jackson Hale and Thibaud Charon clad in the designs of the Italian maison's creative directors Maria Chiuria Gracia and Pierpaolo Piccioli, with the former recently departing to join as couturier at Dior.

What is fashion week without rumors? The biggest rumor in Paris is that Maria Grazia Chiuri is set to be come the first-ever female designer at Christian Dior. Would she go it alone, leaving Pierpaolo Piccioli to design Valentino alone? Only time will tell. However, for their SS17 collection, the vibe felt decidedly more rugged: see the frayed edges or unfnished hems that looked like something you'd find at an army-surplus store. However, this is Valentino, and there was plenty of very polished and fancy clothes, many in super lightweight fabrics, layered, to deceptively look like they're off-season clothes but aha! they are perfect for hot Roman days. The accessories, like the metal chain necklaces, bags and the sharp footwear, rounded out the expansive collection.

George Barnett and Egor van Praet star in Valentino's pared back SS16 campaign from David Bailey which emphasized the utility and function of Valentino's latest collection set in the "real world" of go-kart rides, boating and more.

As Valentino's FW16 show started, it looked like it would be a somber one, all black suits and sportswear. Oh, how wrong we were. There were about 80 looks and that sheer number seems excessive, as were the hodgepodge of inspirations. There were chunky straps on coats (S&M!), Navajo prints (Native American!), tartan suits (70s London!), tie dye (psychedelia!) and so on. It is well known that Valentino's ateliers are some of the most gifted and hardest working, churning out special edition collections left and right, some of them couture. However, in its attempt to create a collection that "frees" men from just one type of clothing it looked like this well made collection was just grasping at straws. That's not say the work was not top notch, it just needed to be edited. A lot.

After a stunning display in Rome yesterday for its couture collection, Valentino proffers a more egalitarian approach to its FW15 men's campaign. Shot by David Bailey and styled by Karl Templer, the sharp designs of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli are juxtaposed with chic days at a farmer's market, with all clothes worn by George Barnett, Tommaso de Benedictis, Matthieu Gregoire, and Serge Rigvava.

Valentino's Maria Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli have been busy. A few months ago they created an exclusive all-white couture collection shown in New York. Next month, they head to Rome to show an exclusive couture collection to celebrate the Italian label's heritage. And they created a menswear collection with 73 looks. This is a testament not just to their creative prowess but also the hard work of the men and women that make up the multiple ateliers at Valentino.

As for the expansive SS16 men's collection, it was rooted in globalism. There were elements of Asia, Africa, America, and, of course, Europe. Dragon motifs showed up on a denim jacket, ethnic prints from the Americas and Africa were littered throughout the collection, on straps of sandals to accents on coats, while tailoring was strongly rooted in Europe's sleek and slim silhouette. There was even a bomber with a makeshift map of Earth. Souvenir coats with applique flowers felt kitschy and fun while a myriad of denim clad models showed that casual-wear can be made haute with Valentino's bespoke denim. All this and more gave the audience that included former-One Direction member Zayn Malik much to ogle at. Lastly, it would not be a Valentino show without camouflage and there was plenty to be seen.

See the full collection here.

Valentino's Fall/Winter 2015 collection was graphic. Everything from the geometric carpet to the matching patterns seen on knits to iridescent tuxedos were graphic. Valentino, one of the most revered and classy men's labels, made these bold patterns chic and essentially made this collection a masterclass in subdued but bold pattern making, a phrase that's somewhat oxymoronic but quite fitting. Highlights include paper-thin knits in geometric patterns to plaid suits, in red, that shocked the system until two green iridescent tuxes came out, glittering with bold patterns, graced the runway. Camo, which the Roman label has trumpeted for years, is now a staple at their shows, regardless of the season, while couture denim (their wording) also made a reappearance.

Vignettes help frame Valentino's Fall/Winter 2014 collection by showcasing the designs from the two Creative Directors, worn by Nicolas Ripoll, Janis Ancens, George Barnett, Arthur Gosse and Tommaso de Benedictis and shot by Daivd Bailey.

See the full collection here.

Valentino's Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli aren't the first this season to look to the life and style of artists for inspiration. This is, however, Valentino so these romantic and often times artistic pieces were made all the more luxe with double cashmere layers, nappa leather smocks, and a host of beautiful (and subtle) prints. Valentino's designers have aimed to elevate their menswear by introducing couture techniques into it, take their made to measure denim from previous seasons. For this season, the designers opted to focus their attention on the remarkable prints, such as floral and animal prints; they caught one's attention without being loud and obtrusive. Meanwhile, Valentino's now-signature summer camouflage made a return, in pop art pattern, like a leather jacket on Ben Allen, though there were more demure iterations. Tailoring was relaxed and carefree, take the plethora of pants they offered, from chinos to printed trousers.