Valentini Fall 2027 Bridal Collection at New York Bridal Fashion Week
At New York Bridal Fashion Week, I sat down with Valentini creative director Graziana Valentini to talk about AQUÈA, the Fall 2027 collection arriving in the family house’s sixtieth anniversary year. We spoke about the history behind the label, the collection’s range of silhouettes, and the freedom of a gown that can change with its wearer.
Valentini’s description of movement and light gave me a thread to follow through the collection: floral details, mermaid and ballgown silhouettes, and detachable pieces that let a bride transform a ballgown into a mini skirt.
Valentini’s 60-Year Family Story
Sara Stanford: Tell us your name, role, and the story of Valentini.
Graziana Valentini: “I’m Graziana Valentini, and I am the creative director of this brand. Valentini is a brand that was founded by my parents 60 years ago. I am already the second generation, and I’m running this factory together with my brothers. My niece and nephew, the fourth generation, are already working with us. So I’m proud of it because we are three generations. Yes, it’s a long story. Valentini is not just a brand; it’s a real story, an authentic story. It is 100% made in Italy. It tells a story of our family.”
The brand’s story begins with Pinuccia Valentini’s bridal accessories atelier in Puglia and Giovanni Valentini’s belief that the work could grow into something enduring. AQUÈA arrives as the family house marks sixty years, with Graziana continuing its creative direction.
AQUÈA Gives Brides a Range of Silhouettes
Sara Stanford: A blush liquid-taffeta gown featured hand-painted florals. How was that detail applied?
Graziana Valentini: “Hand-painted, yes, of course.”
Sara Stanford: How do you approach the variety of styles in the collection?
Graziana Valentini: “I like to give the brides a wide range of choice. I tried to make different things, the mermaid, the ballgown, and different styles also, because every bride has her own personality, so it’s important to give the bride the possibility to wear our dress.”
Valentini describes AQUÈA’s bride as fluid and ever-changing, with movement carried through the fabrics and the way the gowns move on the body. In our conversation, she returned to the importance of choice: a bride should be able to find the shape that feels right for her.
Detachable Details Transform the Bridal Look
Sara Stanford: The gown appeared to shift through several looks. Why include detachable elements?
Graziana Valentini: “We also like to make things detachable, in order to give the possibility during the day to change themselves. So the bride, from the beginning to the end, she can play, so she can transform the dress from ballgown to mini skirt. We like playing on these things.”
That changeability lets one gown move with the wedding day, rather than asking a bride to choose just one mood. The idea is less about a single reveal than giving the wearer room to play with the look as the celebration unfolds.
How Graziana Valentini Balances Sensuality and Elegance
Sara Stanford: How do you balance a bride’s wish for something sexy with the elegance she wants for the day?
Graziana Valentini: “We try to make some sexy dresses, but I don’t want to go too far with the sexy, because for me the bride on that day should be elegant. So I try to balance the sexiness and the elegance of the dress. I would never make it too sexy, no?”
When I asked what Valentini brides are looking for, she described them as confident and elegant, and as women who want to feel like themselves. Her answer returns to the purpose of the dress: the bride should still feel wholly her own.
