Three years ago, a Valentino couture show featured a cast of 65 models, 43 of whom were Black. At the time, the Italian heritage brand’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli took to social media to write, “Couture is a dream. Although it celebrates uniqueness, which is a synonym for diversity, it has always meant to be for white people.”

As a riposte to the white-washing of the fashion industry, Piccioli’s collections for Valentino are a prismatic rainbow of acceptance and a celebration of what it means to be deemed as different. Yesterday’s show, named Anatomy of Couture, was no exception. The brand’s made-to-order dresses dazzled more than ever on bodies that look real and relatable and marked a step in the right direction of making couture a diverse corner of the industry.

The models at Valentino’s colourful couture show were just as refreshing as the clothes