Last week, Pierpaolo Piccioli took home the top prize at the Fashion Awards 2022: Designer of the Year. He said to the industry members that he didn’t expect to become so emotional about it. “I am feeling grateful because as I win, my team wins, my company wins, creativity wins, our values win,” he said.
The star-studded ceremony was hosted by Queen and Jodie Turner-Smith at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The Fashion Awards nominees and winners are voted for by an international judging panel made up of more than 1,000 industry experts.
This marks the second time Piccoli has won the prestigious award – he first was honored the prize in 2018. “If I am reading this speech tonight, it means that dreams can take you to places you never expected to be,” he said at the time.
Piccioli’s shows were very influential in fashion this year. From the monochromatic autumn/winter 2022 presentation responsible for the birth of Barbiecore to his body-diverse vision for couture spring/summer 2022, each have been major milestones for Valentino and the industry at large. The creative director even teamed up with Pantone to create a special “Pink PP” shade featured on everything from miniature bags to couture gowns. But Piccioli says it’s the everyday that he treasures the most.
“Behind the Spanish Steps show, the Unboxing show, are all the parts we share in order to make these moments,” the designer told Vogue UK. “The huge moments are moments that belong to everyone.”
An example of Piccoli’s kind spirit is the fact that Florence Pugh – “a talented actor, but also a special human being” who Piccioli feels as if he’s known forever – stood by his side despite being asked to leave the podium during his speech. “She knew I wanted her to stay if I won,” he told the news outlet. “This was an achievement for humanity and the passion and love we pour into all projects. These dreams mean so much more than any clothes.”
“My job is fashion and fashion is my language,” Piccioli said. “Freedom, equality and inclusion are not just words, they have to be part of the fashion language.”
“We must stand up for all human rights,” Piccioli continued. He closed out his Designer of the Year speech, “We don’t want to be yet without dreams.”
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