Valentino: Born with Studs

What connects the façade of a Roman palazzo to a Valentino perfume bottle? Look closely at Born in Roma and the answer is in the glass. The pyramid-shaped studs refer to the bugnato, the diamond-shaped stonework found on historic Roman palazzos.

Valentino introduces the Rockstud in 2010, under creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. The studs first appear on shoes and later on bags, becoming one of the house’s signatures. In 2019, Born in Roma launches with fragrances for women and men. The pyramid shapes return in glass, adding texture to the bottles. Studs evoke armour and punk within a house known for couture and glamour. Colour is part of Valentino’s legacy: Valentino Red, followed by Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Pink PP in 2022. With Demna now at Valentino, I am curious to see what comes next.

For the photo series Perfume Studies, I imagined the two Born in Roma bottles in a studded landscape, surrounded by larger and smaller paper Starstuds.

Concept and styling by Im Fong Liu. Photography by Thomas van Schaik