Alessandra Facchinetti on Wednesday described her first haute couture collection for Valentino as ''a couture for wearing'' shortly before its presentation at a Paris Fashion Week catwalk show.

''I am continuing here what I started with the Valentino pret-a-porter collection: once again, there is no frantic search for trend,'' said the designer, who took over as head of Valentino's women's collections last September.

''It's a couture without theatricality, which cares about functionality - something clothes should always have. Valentino was a master of that. But there's nothing nostalgic in my approach,'' she underlined.