Review of Valentino ‘Narratives II’ Ad Campaign by Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli
Valentino unveils a new chapter with the second installment in its “Narratives” campaign, an unprecedented collaboration between the house and contemporary writers.
First unveiled for Spring 2021, the campaign flipped expectations on what fashion advertising could mean by totally eschewing images in favor of the written word. Calling on a diverse array of contemporary writers, Valentino gave them free rein to create a brief piece how they want to, with the one condition that it must have some mention of “Valentino.” The house then partnered with independent bookstores to extend the life and reach of the project and foster a unique creative community around fashion and writing.
For the new chapter of the project, Valentino works with new writers but many of the same bookstores. This time around there was no requirement to mention the house itself, and instead the writers were asked to focus on love. From contemporary literature darlings like Elizabeth Acevedo to unexpected members of the fashion world like Emily Ratajkowski, it’s exciting and uplifting to see the diverse range of voices and expression speaking to the universal value of love.
The written pieces are treated to bright and colorful graphic work – a nice tie-in to creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s mastery and continuous exploration of solid, vibrant colors – and blown up into posters which illuminate the facades of bookstores across the US.
This new step of the campaign smartly furthers its mission – already a daringly unique change of pace for the fashion world in its eschewing of imagery in favor of text – by continuing to bring its celebration of literature into some of the communities for whom literature is most vital. Balancing digital communications with the timeless and touchable power of the printed page, Valentino makes uniquely meaningful connections and pushes the maison’s narrative in exciting new directions.
Valentino Creative Director | Pierpaolo Piccioli