Valentino Garavani and Betony Vernon Launch the Rockstud Alcove Project

After a decade of fashion insiders (and outsiders) crushing over the distinct Valentino Garavani Rockstud design, whose shape takes inspiration in the designs of Roman door notches (if you haven't heard of the style, you've most definitely seen the pointed-toe pumps and pyramid-shaped embellished bags hanging off the arms of the super stylish), the Italian fashion house have decided to collaborate with SHOWstudio contributor and author of the hit book, The Boudoir Bible, Betony Vernon.

Creating a multifaceted project and subsequent alcove, dedicated to showing off the Rockstud in its most delightful (and sexy) form, the maison have partnered with Vernon to show the classic design reinterpreted in a modern and sultry light. The alcove in question includes a mirrored peep box for customers to view the collection from every angle, a special Valentino edition of Vernon's The Boudoir Bible and a window display dedicated to showcasing the design that's put Valentino's name back on the fashion map, thanks to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's genius and modernisation of the Italian fashion power house when they both held the helm as joint creative directors.

The recent Rockstud transformation undergoing at Valentino, thanks to Pierpaolo Piccioli's creative vision, follows a similar announcement the maison made in October 2020, choosing to launch the Rockstud X project with menswear designer Craig Green. In celebration of the house's 10th anniversary, Piccioli invited Green to make his own mark on the Rockstud legacy, followed by the invitation of other designers, brands and artists to do the same. With Vernon being a long friend of the Valentino house, it only seems apt that Piccioli has approached the author to help him realise his unique and rather sultry vision for the house, one that's steeped in romance, love and the intimacy humans crave.

Describing the project as a 'celebration of the provocative, an ode to the creative feminine and the divine power of love,' the maison seem to be head-deep in a pit of love and all things sensual, choosing to champion female sexuality in all its glory rather than abruptly question it (as so many people like to do these days). Recently choosing to star Zendaya in their Valentino Roman Palazzo campaign, the house's efforts in revelling in all things sensual and romantic don't go unnoticed; in a time when humans have been devoid of love and intimacy, choosing to put these two tropes at the forefront of their campaigns makes perfect sense.

On the topic of sensuality and sexual prowess, Valentino said in a statement:

'To enter the world of the provocative a mysterious peep box has been conceived to secretly admire these new objects of desire in a bizarre game of voyeurism: a play of glances and mirrors, inside and outside, cracks to peek through without being seen. This concept continues in the dedicated windows pursuing the dualism of observing and being observed.'

The Boudoir Bible is described as being an 'essential pillow book, for men and women, written from a joyful, sex-positive point of view' and is beautifully illustrated by renowned artist Franҫois Berthoud. Considering its playful attitudes to sex and the joy it can bring, the Valentino Garavani Rockstud Alcove plays on the very nature that is imperative to Vernon's book. The Rockstud Alcove is ultimately a celebration of the provocative, an ode to the creative feminine and the divine power of love - so who better to invite for a collaboration other than The Boudoir Bible's very own.