It began with an austere high-waisted black tunic and shorts, and ended with the all-out extravagance of a thousand meters of multi-tufted tulle gown sweeping the runway. In Giambattista Valli's words, "It's about a metamorphosis. There's a big change going on in these times." He can say that again. Still, for the lineup of pretty young friends cozied up together center-front (Natalie Portman, Emma Watson, Lapo Elkann and his girlfriend Bianca Brandolini d'Adda, Leigh Lezark, Caroline Sieber, and assorted socials), this was a collection that outlined the go-to certainties of Valli's appeal: couturelike volumes and polished formality, underpinned by an irrepressible love of the frothy, feminine, partygoing dress.
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Chloé Spring 2009
