How Long It Took to Make These Valentino Couture Looks

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By Chelsea Peng published 8 July 16

This season, it's all about the petites mains. At Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld transplanted his ateliers' entire staffs to the Grand Palais, where they flanked the runway like it was just another day at the office. Now Valentino has joined in with a digital tribute to the artists who physically made the Shakespearean clothes, including one very labor-intensive patchwork coat (read: 1,200 hours) worn by Maartje Verhoef.

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Compare to this dress with a ruff, which took about a third as long to make. (No less beautiful, though.)

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*110 hours of hand-painting*

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We're sure the Bard would really appreciate this.

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Shock and awe, yes, but something else too: These efforts to recognize the people who bring the sketches to life show that couture still has value. And it's still very much alive.

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Chelsea Peng

I'm Chelsea Peng, the assistant editor at MarieClaire.com. On my tombstone, I would like a GIF of me that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, I'm into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard I have to go lie down.