Giamba

The launch of a new label is always exciting news. But when it comes from Giambattista Valli, whose eponymous line is one of the most extravagantly feminine fashion houses in the world, it becomes an event that we can hardly wait for.

Giambattista Valli haute couture

So Giamba, launching at Milan Fashion Week in September, has got to be one of the most anticipated shows for Autumn/Winter 2014 already. The collection got its moniker from the designer’s own nickname, so it’s bound to have the same personal, intimate feel of his main line. Italy-born Valli shows his ready-to-wear and couture collections in Paris, so it’s possible that Giamba signals a return to the Central Saint Martins graduate’s roots.

It’s always interesting to see how heavily ornate designers, best known for their formalwear, translate that aesthetic to a younger (and usually less expensive, more casual) line. We can’t imagine that the romance and the femininity of Giambattista Valli will diminish, but perhaps it will be less old world, and a little more in line with current trends.

Giambattista Valli ready to wear

Valli gave a hint at how this will unfold in an interview with Vogue.co.uk: "It's another side of the same coin," he revealed.  "There is also an underground and sexy side in me and in my designs that you will see in the Giamba line. I've been thinking about it for a while and waited for the right time, and now it's matured. I am really very happy.  I feel the need to dress women in general, and Giamba is a little more intimate."

We can’t wait until September to see the results, but in the meantime we decided to look back at Giambattista Valli eponymous collection for Autumn/Winter 2014, and guess at the elements which will reappear at Giamba.

This is a quintessentially Giambattista Valli dress: elaborate and floral, with rich texture. We wouldn’t be surprised if rose motifs reappear at Giamba, but perhaps as a detail rather than an all-over feature.

Roses again, but this time in Valli’s signature colours of pink and red. The cut, however, is tellingly modern. Perhaps he was already designing with the new label already in mind, and the simple neckline could signal an interest in simpler,  more modern silhouettes.

Outerwear is a key element of almost every designer collection, and Giambattista Valli gave it a strong presence in his last show. Red lace would be an appropriate nod to the new label’s home in Milan, instead of Paris, but three-quarter length sleeves and a simpler fabric would make it feel younger.

Our final prediction for Giamba involves skater dresses – they appeared thick and fast at the Giambattista Valli show for Autumn/Winter 2014, and this blurred, felt-tip effect print was one of our favourite looks.