Colour blocking is one of those terms bandied about from season to season, but more often than not it’s a trend in womenswear rather than in menswear. It’s rare that you can lock a trend like this down to just one single collection but with this season, it was easy.Valentino took colour blocking to a whole new level and delivered look after look that pushed the boundaries of what colour blocking can do. Distinctly difficult and discordant colours and shapes found an aesthetic harmony in the deft hands of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. I can’t remember the last time there was a must-have menswear collection that I had dreams about. I broke into a cold sweat when I saw one of these jumpers in a shop. Single items from the collection are all beautiful but layered on top of each other, like they were on the runway, was the real key to this look.
Needless to say the cost of not one but seven or eight pieces of Valentino won’t be in everyone’s budget. Thankfully high street homages are abundant. Choose your colours wisely and you can recreate this look on a budget that suits you. Rich burgundies, camels and pops of dove grey and duck egg blue will convey a sufficiently Valentino-esque vibe without breaking the bank. As a starting point Shore Leave do an excellent jumper in a similar aesthetic vein that should form the centre of your colour blocking look. Scarves, bags, jumpers even hats and gloves can be used to flesh it out, just remember to keep your eye on the colour palette. Visual harmony is, as always, the key.
