PARIS — Issues of inclusion and cultural sensitivity — and fashion’s lack of understanding thereof — have been at the forefront of the general conversation for awhile now, though they have been particularly pressing since last fall, when the industry began what seemed like a run of increasingly tone-deaf products accompanied by a slew of mea culpas. The discussion has not, however, apparently trickled up to the couture, despite the fact that in many ways this particular style sector would seem ripe for exactly such a reckoning, premised as it is on exclusivity in both price and access. It is not that designers are sticking their heads in the sand exactly, as much as simply allowing themselves to be blinded by beauty. So it was notable, on the final day of the Paris shows, to hear Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director of Valentino, effectively dedicating his collection to diversity of the most personal kind.

Source: New York Times July 04, 2019 12:55 UTC