Discover Monique Lhuillier’s Venice-Inspired Collection

The colourful streets and canals of Venice, Italy have long inspired art and fashion. Designer Monique Lhuillier, in turn, was captivated by the city’s charms in designing her vibrant collection for Spring 2023.

Transporting wearers to the sun-dappled setting of the Floating City, the season’s pieces move between carefree and dramatic—a combo the designer calls “a fresh, wearable, carefree approach to occasion dressing.”

The vivid colour palette brings to mind the opulence of Venetian art and architecture—sunny yellows, floral pinks, and Caribbean blues feature on elegantly draped gowns, capes, and coats. In a nod to the city’s cultural heritage, bold details add an air of exuberant theatrics, from exaggerated slits and plunging necklines to voluminous sleeves, opera-length gloves, and Watteau trains.

Texture and pattern bring yet another dimension. Among these are elaborate embroidery, floral jacquard, lace or sequins, and optical pop art. Photographed against Venice’s stunning facades and on the gondolas floating down the canals, the collection celebrates the city’s boundlessly creative soul with what Lhuillier terms “an exuberance of volume, texture, and colour.”