Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli Receives ‘Designer Of The Year’ Title
As the year comes to a close, many of the design world’s best and brightest are being recognized. One such maestro is Pierpaolo Picciolo, creative director of Valentino, who recently won the designer of the year award at the 2022 Fashion Awards.
Picciolo received the prize at a star-studded event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, though one notable figure was missing in action—Balenciaga’s creative designer Demna Gvasalia, who was implicated in a high-profile controversy surrounding the brand.
According to The Guardian, it seems Demna not only was a no-show, but he also had his name removed from the list of participating nominees for the coveted prize, which saw more than 1,000 industry experts cast their votes.
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This is the second time Piccioli has picked up the prize, having won for the first time in 2018. And what a year it has been for Valentino, with the fashion brand’s sales rising by 41% to €1.36 billion (US$1.4 billion).
One key design that’s lured in Gen Z buyers is Piccioli’s collaboration with PANTONE, which spotlighted a custom ‘Pink PP’ shade that featured heavily at Valentino’s AW22 show.
The campaign starred Zendaya, decked out in variations of the monochromatic bright Fuschia, which was described as “an expressive manifestation of Pierpaolo Piccioli’s contemporary codes” that captured “absolute individuality.”
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As a stark contrast to the pink, the designer launched the ‘Pink PP #BlackEdition’, turning the collection on its head to focus on the darkest of colors, emphasizing the textures, materials, and precious items used in the construction.
Considering Piccioli has been at the helm of Valentino since 2008, initially as the joint creative director with Maria Grazia Chiuri till 2016, it certainly is impressive the designer has carved out such a lasting legacy while remaining relevant.
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[via The Guardian and Reuters, cover image via Gennaro Leonardi | Dreamstime.com]
