Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli looked to the rich history of the Roman Byzantine Empire and the 20^th century Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny to influence their most recent couture outing. Fortuny, famous for creating fashion for dancers and actress during the early 1900s, would have been proud. The influence of his pioneering ‘Delphos gown’, a finely pleated silk dress, was evident in the regal dresses on display.

Dresses with plunging necklines in textured velvet and chiffon, and opulent evening coats were featured heavily throughout the collection, worn regally by bare-foot models sporting gold serpent headpieces.

On some gowns, designers Chiuri and Piccioli experimented with patchwork fabrics, ruffled necklines and mesh inserts. Models were also adorned in intricate gold body chains, worn across the chest, shoulders and feet, evoking images of what a Medieval dancing queen might in fact have looked like.