PICCIOLI'S FIRST CAMPAIGN FOR VALENTINO

The spring campaign shot by David Sims is one of the many exciting new challenges faced by Pierpaolo Piccioli in his role as sole creative director of Valentino. Following his stunning spring show, Piccioli worked on the new ad imagery, the first that fully represents the designer's vision for the storied house. Eager to make a statement more than just showing the clothes, he imagined two parts – spontaneous and fresh backstage shots taken during the spring runway show and powerful black-and-white portraits of seven models across different age brackets, personalities and ethnicities. They include Christy Turlington, Liya Kebede, Ratner, Fei Fei Sun, Lorena Maraschi, Blesnya Minher and Mali Koopman. The high-contrast images will be matched together. Last year, Piccioli and his longtime creative partner Maria Grazia Chiuri ended their 20-plus year work relationship with him remaining at Valentino and Chiuri taking the creative reins at Dior.