From Zendaya To Florence Pugh: The Vogue Editors’ Favorite Pierpaolo Piccioli Valentino Looks
One of fashion’s foremost visionaries, Pierpaolo Piccioli has left an indelible mark on the industry. After co-creative directing Valentino alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri from 2008 to 2016, he took the helm solo and crafted some of the most unforgettable moments in recent fashion history. The announcement of his shock departure on March 22 sent ripples through the sector.
While the news might sadden fashion aficionados who have closely tracked Piccioli’s trajectory, his legion of celebrity admirers will be just as disheartened. Stars, such as Anne Hathaway, Naomi Campbell, Florence Pugh and Zendaya, have long been enamored with the designer’s poetic creations. And the hottest shade of pink will forever remain entwined with his legacy. Scroll on to see the Vogue editors’ favorite Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino looks worn by A-listers.
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Lady Gaga, 2018
Pierpaolo Piccioli is one of fashion’s greatest romantics. Nowhere was that more evident than in his haute couture creations, which balanced a sense of otherworldly romance with the pragmatism of a great coat. My favorite celebrity moment of his has to be when Lady Gaga wore a fall 2018 couture dress, which Kaia Gerber modeled on the runway, to the Venice Film Festival premiere of A Star is Born. It was raining, and there’s a clip of Gaga declining an umbrella to walk the red carpet solo. That is the making of one of fashion’s most fantastic moments of the past decade, and the moment Gaga transformed from pop icon to movie star in front of our eyes, all by the hand of Pierpaolo. José Criales-Unzueta
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Michelle Zauner, 2022
This sculptural, sunshiney minidress couldn’t have been more perfect for Michelle Zauner to celebrate her Japanese Breakfast album Jubilee at the 2022 Grammys. While everyone loves to trot out Picciolo’s blazing hot pinks (for good reason) this dress, from the fall 2021 haute couture collectsion, is a reminder of his mastery of color. More than that, he managed to amplify every element—from the shape to the structure and color—while still letting Zauner have full ownership over the dress. She doesn’t look swallowed up, as it could easily do, but is powerful and, most of all, jubilant. Hannah Jackson
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Maya Rudolph, 2018
To me, “Valentino red carpet” is synonymous with Maya Rudolph, who had a penchant for wearing the label for all her major appearances. The Valentino-red turtleneck gown she wore in 2018 remains one of my favorites; but I also love the ’70s-vibe, feather-trimmed orange kaftan she wore in 2022 when her husband Paul Thomas Anderson was nominated for Licorice Pizza. Later that year, she wore one of Pierpaolo’s PP-Pink gowns—complete with matching sky-high platforms. Another bold color, another killer look. A most iconic duo. Laia Garcia-Furtado
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Pedro Pascal, 2023
Pedro Pascal likes to have fun on the red carpet. In theory, red-and-black for a formal event feels like terrible prom tux territory, but color theory prince Pierpaolo Piccioli knows what he’s doing—so it’s somehow very sexy. It’s the shorts. And the tall boots. And the skinny tie. I don’t really know, I just like it! Margaux Anbouba
Photo: Christian Högstedt5/9Carey Mulligan, 2021
I think about this hot pink look an oddly disproportionate amount. There’s something so wonderfully arresting about it–a zero fucks given red-carpet moment that took up literal space at the 2021 Met Gala. Taking 430 hours to create, the caped block-colored Barbie ballgown was actually comprised of five micro prints on several different fabrics, from taffeta to faille. Carey Mulligan said she felt like a competition winner sitting next to fellow Valentino guest Whoopi Goldberg, but I think she scored best dressed all by herself. Not all heroes wear capes, but Valentino’s do. Alice Newbold
MARK RALSTON/Getty Images6/9Gemma Chan, 2019
Of all the many (many) celebrities-looking-fabulous-in-PP-Pink moments that Pierpaolo’s tenure at Valentino has brought us, this is my favourite. The always flawless Gemma Chan swept into the 2019 Oscars in a cloud of pink silk that descended in tiers from the ruffled collar into a dramatic train that billowed behind her as she walked the red carpet. The genius addition of pockets added an air of nonchalance rarely seen at the Academy Awards–especially from a first-timer, as Gemma was then. With a little help from Mr. Piccioli, she nailed it. Kerry McDermott
Jacopo Raule/Getty Images7/9Anne Hathaway, 2022
At the height of #Barbiecore in the summer of 2022, Anne Hathaway made a glorious entrance at Valentino’s haute couture fall 2022 show in Rome, embodying the epitome of the aesthetic. This look strikes a chord with me because, as a closeted gay boy with a penchant for styling my dolls in minidresses (crafted mostly from tissue paper) and vertiginous plastic stilettos, it epitomizes the exact outfit of my dreams. It’s simultaneously sassy, sparkling and effortlessly cool. Alex Kessler
Stefania D'Alessandro8/9Florence Pugh, 2022
Remember the “Miss Flo” Don’t Worry Darling debacle? The aftermath saw Florence Pugh step out for the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival, resplendent in a show-stopping (and leg and décolletage-baring) Valentino gown, topped off with a glamazon hairstyle and a knowing pose. With the world’s eyes on her, the sheer, glittering gown delivered all the drama one could hope for on such an occasion. Hannah Coates
Dia Dipasupil9/9Frances McDormand, 2018
Pierpaolo Piccioli was a designer of very beautiful red-carpet dresses, but my favourite moments were when his pieces also happened to look a little strange. It challenges the eye and stirs something deeper within a person. One memorable example is when Frances McDormand arrived at the 2018 Met Gala in a haute couture gown from Piccioli’s spring 2018 collectsion, complete with a massive headpiece. Regal, yes. Batshit, also. Daniel Rodgers
