Giambattista Valli’s Beverly Hills-Inspired S/S´23 Haute Couture Show

Giambattista Valli drew inspiration from the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills for his spring couture spectacle in Paris. British Vogue’s fashion critic Anders Christian Madsen reports.

The collection was inspired by Beverly Hills

There are few better ways to spend an afternoon than people-watching over lunch at The Beverly Hills Hotel: the pastel dresses, the platform shoes, the coiffure and the euphoric parfum of La La Land where life – as Lisa Vanderpump has taught us – may not be all diamonds and rosé, but should be. Giambattista Valli spent part of his autumn there taking it all in, bringing it back to Paris and turning it into the candy floss confections that fill those women’s dreams. “It’s not about Hollywood,” he said. “It’s about socialites in Beverly Hills: something peaceful, something happy; an almost trippy atmosphere.”

It was a moment of escapism

On his backstage moodboard at the Espace Vendôme were pictures of pictures from the hallways of The Beverly Hills Hotel: dreamy 1950s scenes of pink Cadillacs dropping off women in clouds of pastel-coloured tulle in front of its gates to paradise and Slim Aarons photographs of poolside situations depicting the daytime life of those same tribes of people. “I love the idea of women from all over the world going to Beverly Hills – the idea of the invitation,” Valli said. “It’s an escape – I would love to give people an escapist moment.” We all know that times are tough, but taking a couture-infused breather just once in a while is probably good for the mind.

Everything was super light

Valli’s 90210 dreams unfolded on a sprawling white carpet where his frothy fragments of fantasy waltzed around like a night in the Crystal Ballroom: draped and ballooned faille gowns, micro-plissé chiffon chitons, organdie feathered into furry column dresses and the same idea mirrored in multi-colour plume. Everywhere you looked, fabrics were bouncing as if in slow-motion, a representation of the Beverly Hills mentality: “There’s something about the weight of the lightness. It’s hard to find that kind of balance. You cannot take it so seriously. We’re talking about gowns for parties and happy times, and you have to enjoy making it,” Valli said.

A special guest closed the show

“When they come to us, they want something very extreme: volumes, chiffon, clouds of colours,” Valli said, referring to an haute couture clientele that’s entirely distinct to his business. They’re young, fun and unapologetic in their love of the princess fantasies this kind of savoir-faire can provide. Before the Brazilian actress Marina Ruy Barbosa emerged – to the finale soundtrack of The White Lotus theme – in a sequin and crystal-embroidered jacket worn over an ivory silk faille moiré trouser and a draped tulle cape – a super-dimensional white multi-ruffled creation showed off 500 metres of tulle worked into a bridal gown.

It was brains on legs

“There’s a category of girls who are really fabulous, who don’t care about trends but care about having fun,” Valli mused, gesturing at a running order where more than a few looks had their legs out. “I love legs and brains,” he said, name-checking Amal Clooney and Huma Abedin as some of the women who inspire that image. “I love the power of someone who is in balance with their femininity.” Asked whom he’d most like to dress on the Oscars red carpet – Hollywood is next door to Beverly Hills, after all – Valli’s answer perfectly summed up his ideal woman: “Meryl Streep!”