POETRY IN MOTION

Vanities/Fashion

At Valentino, words, passion, and fashion collide

Keziah Weir

In an ode to freedom of expression, Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli commissioned poets Greta Bellamacina, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Robert Montgomery, and Mustafa the Poet for original work, which was collected in a slim volume called On Love. Selections, like 23-yearold Grammy winner Mustafa's poignant line, pictured above, appear on the clothing itself. The gist: Love triumphs.

The notion resonates with Alvin Ailey dancer Courtney Celeste Spears, currently closing out an international tour. Alley's signature ballet, Revelations, is a bluesy, gospel-filled celebration of black American heritage; its exultant ending translates to audiences from New York to Copenhagen. "No matter what language barrier, race, ethnicity, religion," Spears says, "love is love."

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