Valentino Designers Fashions and Runways Shows 2013

This is neither a judgment nor a slight. Gardens are glorious, and the Roman duo nourished their theme with a distinctive Italian touch, from the spaghetti-like embroideries coiled on coats and dresses — echoing the curlicues on fancy metal gates and grills — to the imposing line of coronation robes that they built into minimalist gowns, a nod to the royals depicted in paintings by Italian masters. 

When a model stepped into the room sheltered by a black, birdcagelike cape made out of fabric tubes, the audience burst into spontaneous applause. The show was breathtaking. Chiuri and Piccioli are cultivating an intoxicating, covered-up approach to fashion that seduces with fragility and feminine grace, not skin.