2023 is bringing us one of the most exclusive collaborations in eyewear yet… Valentino Garavani Eyewear x Akoni. But, what is so special about this eyewear collection? Let's find out...

The Luxury Fashion House - Valentino

Founded in 1960, the Italian fashion house Valentino, is a brand name recognised worldwide. The name originates from the founder of the label, Valentino Garavani, not to confuse him or the brand with Mario Valentino. Garavani debuted his first collection in 1962 and from that moment onwards, continued to rise to the top in the luxury fashion industry. In his early days, he was identified for his signature red dress designs - a colour that quickly became known as Valentino red - and still is to this day. From his first ready-to-wear collection until now, every runway show has featured a prominent red dress.

Valentino Garavani himself has become as iconic as his label and his collections. His name continues to represent luxury worldwide. 1998 was the year that Garavani and his business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti sold the company for around $300 million to conglomerate Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali (HdP). However, Garavani continued to act as the house's creative director up until 2007. After 45 years, he decided that it was time to take a step down from the fashion industry and passed his duties onto Alessandra Facchinetti. The Italian fashion designer was known for her role in one of Valentino’s competitors, Gucci. However, she only lasted one year in the house before moving on. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were appointed as co-directors in 2008 following Facchinetti’s departure and brought the brand name to new levels. They are known to have reinvigorated the business bringing soft and modern femininity to the label and reaching all-time high revenues. Chiuri departed Valentino in 2016 to join Christian Dior leaving the reins to Pierpaolo.         

VALENTINO GARAVANI IN THE DIRECTION OF PIERPAOLO PICCIOLI

Appointed Designer of the Year in 2022, Pierpaolo Piccioli has continued to outdo himself in his role. What he has done solo for the Italian house has been outstanding. What many people do not know is that Piccioli has served 23 years for Valentino, starting his venture in 1999 as an accessories designer. Previously, he expressed that when he had first seen Valentino’s archive of the original haute couture designs, they were nothing like he had imagined. Although he had seen images, they were nothing like he had envisioned and explained,  “...That gap between what I saw and what I wanted is where I wanted to work.”

 Piccioli has constantly elevated the brand. He expressed in 2021 that his approach to menswear was to combine it with couture involving a series of men's looks in the collection - a very rare approach. These designs are showcased in the Spring 2021 couture collection. Brands such as Balenciaga and Fendi shortly followed in his footsteps. He revealed that he enjoyed combining the opposites - tailoring and couture. Piccioli expressed that it was like creating a new possibility. 

“The idea is not to deliver stuff. It’s not to deliver new clothes: It’s to deliver new dreams and new emotions for a new moment.” 

Although the Italian house has brought us many momentous designs and collections throughout the years, most recently, 2022 brought us the iconic pink shade displayed throughout the brand's collections. The colour quickly became known as Valentino pink and appeared everywhere in Valentino's runway collections. Fast fashion retailers were extremely quick to jump on the trend revealing pieces of their own featuring the signature shade. We are certain that Valentino pink will continue to dominate in 2023. 

Valentino's most recent collection was exhibited at Paris Haute Couture week in mid-January. Piccioli brought his Spring 23 Couture collection on the evening of January 25th to a Parisian club setting with a bang. On the runway we seen tailored ensembles (with a range of blazers and two piece suits on display), eye-catching sheer designs, and a huge pop of colour from lime, neon and forrest greens to our favourite signature Valentino red and pink. Piccioli's inspiration came from the club scene in the 1980s. 

VALENTINO EYEWEAR X THE AKONI GROUP

In late 2021, Valentino announced that they were ending their licensing agreement with eyewear giant - Luxottica Group. Piccioli believes that it is time to bring the eyewear collection of the brand to the same level and value as its ready-to-wear collections.

Valentino shares the same values as Akoni. They too produce high-quality products much like Valentino by using the finest Japanese materials, high-quality craftsmanship and the most skilled producers and artisans available to them.

Akoni’s production process is pristine, and there are intricate details to every aspect of their eyewear. You can find out more about the new and upcoming brand in our Akoni Brand Spotlight. Balmain is another luxury fashion house working closely with them, their collections have been outstanding so far.

CELEBRITIES IN VALENTINO'S NEW EYEWEAR RANGE

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY IN THE STYLE V-QUATTRO VLS 109A AT VALENTINO'S LE CLUB COUTURE RUNWAY SHOW.

RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE WINNER SYMONE WEARING THE STYLE V-DUE VLS 103B AT VALENTINO'S LE CLUB COUTURE RUNWAY SHOW.

R&B STAR BABYFACE SPORTS STYLE XVI VLS 100A AT THE 65TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS.

Last But Not Least... Valentino Garavani's Impeccable Packaging  

As mentioned above, the fashion world can't get enough of Valentino's signature pink shade. Akoni has made sure to tie the iconic shade into the packaging of the new collection and created this sleek and sturdy box and case to store your new frames. Talking about multi-purpose, the case can turn into a small bag as it has a detachable strap - perfect for your sunnies or any other small products you would like to store. Check it out below...

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL RANGE OF VALENTINO GARAVANI SUNGLASSES AND OPTICAL GLASSES. THERE IS A PAIR FOR EVERYONE! 

Au revoir, 
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