Valentino: The Prettiest Couture Collection of Them All

The work that Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri are creating at the helm of Valentino just keeps getting better. When a famous designer leaves a fashion house, especially when that designer is the label's creator, there is so much pressure on the label's successor (i.e. Yves Saint Laurent taking over at Dior, Tom Ford replacing Yves Saint Laurent, Sarah Burton carrying on Alexander McQueen's legacy). Yet, Piccioli and Chiuri have not only retained the style elements that Valentino himself established so firmly, but they have also brought their own unique vision to the brand, as Tim Blanks pointed out in his review for style.com. Their couture collection for Spring 2011 was another outstanding example of this.

What I love most about this collection is its overall feminine and delicate mood. I love pieces that are overtly feminine- bows, ruffles, satin, etc. I adore it all. The color palette of soft ivory, pale pinks, and nude tones was also pitch perfect. Of course, there were a few dresses in Valentino Red, but overall the shades were ethereal and light. The impeccable craftsmanship, however, is what separates the couturiers from the amateurs, and Piccioli and Chiuri are above all else couturiers.

Look 24, modeled by Kamila Filipcikova, is my absolute favorite dress from the entire collection. I love the one-shoulder silhouette, the ruffled collar made of butterfly cut-outs (genius!), the bow at the waist, and most of all, those dazzling shoes. All of the shoes in this collection were flawless, but this is my favorite pair.

Is this not the prettiest dress you have ever seen? Again, I am in love with that butterfly neck piece!

This dress has a vintage, antique feel to it that I am always happy to see on the runway. Wasn't it Valerie Steele who said that designers need to have knowledge of fashion history in order to create the clothing of tomorrow? It was something to that effect, and I completely agree.

I am reminded of the Valentino dress that Michelle Williams wore to the Golden Globes when viewing this delicate black and ivory number. While sartorially stunning, the dress did not receive many accolades outside of Vogue. I, of course, loved it almost as much as this soft dress.

I find myself taking a trip down memory lane with this ensemble, too. My friend Emily wore a pleated skirt just like this one when we were in college. Hers was not sheer, but it did have the same diaphanous feel to it as this Valentino creation. Everyday is a runway, after all!

Again, we have all of the new Valentino signatures encompassed in one breathtaking dress.

This collection was just so beautiful! I would dress like this everyday if I could. Encore!

(**photos from style.com**)