Inspired by the Flemish school of painters (both their work and costume), Giambattista Valli delivered an intelligent, covetable collection for Fall Winter 2011-12. Valli took to the Couvent des Cordeliers in Paris with his signature fusion of Roman futurism, hiding wooden columns with mirrored panels and stone walls with blinding white canvas – creating the vision of a chic, futuristic salon dropped into the centre of the gothic church.

With his cohort of glamorous followers comfortably installed (even Lee Radziwill made an appearance), classical up-tempo strings rang out as Giambattista opened with a somewhat severe series of crisp black daywear worn with a flat patent brogue. Breaking out beaded booties, the mood lightened and Valli found his stride with trim cocktail silhouettes in fuschia pink, acid yellow and vermillion ruffles, at times accented with spare lace embellishment and shadowy florals (lifted from those Flemish paintings, over which he waxed lyrical backstage). Crystals lay hidden within shoulder seams, shifts were lightened with a superimposed drape, and cape layers cocooned the shoulders in crisp wool or wild fronds of monkeyfur.