Race, age, weight: Valentino backs diversity in Paris show

IT was a breath of fresh air in Paris, as Valentino’s designer Pierpaolo Piccioli liberated himself of constraints on race, age and weight Wednesday to produce a joyful, inclusive and long-awaited moment of couture.

Fashion prides itself on being able to predict trends and be ahead of the curve. So many industry watchers have been disappointed in recent years that European fashion houses — some of whom have been accused of Western-centrism and even racism — have seemed behind on issues of body positivity and diversity.

For spring, Piccioli took one well-heeled step forward.

Here are some highlights of Wednesday’s shows.

VALENTINO’S DIVERSITY COUTURE

“I have reflected on the body. The repetition of the house model proportion has always been the rhythm to follow and I thought it was time for a change,” Piccioli said. “Creativity, as life itself, is possible only in a non-homogenous environment.”

And with that, the