Valentino's New Alien Couture (Fashion Wire Daily)

Paris - Valentino's creative director Alessandra Facchinetti faced trial by jury Wednesday at 6.30 PM in Paris.

Her jurors were 120 of fashion's elite editors who gathered in the house's French headquarters in tony Place Vendome to cast their votes on whether Facchinetti could cut it with her debut haute couture collection.

Their verdict? The young lady passed with flying colors, with a courtly, semi-alien, oddly organic collection that earned her a rip roar of cheers as she took her bow on her elliptical runway and a warm embrace from Giorgio Armani, who showed up to support his fellow Italian.

The clothes at times looked like they had grown themselves, as charmingly baroque cocktails spouted miniature fabric roses, and gowns were frosted with organza flowers. There was an alien mood throughout - suggested by the opening look, a silk crepe ovoid skirt, accessorized with gold Star Trek origami brooch, though mixed with a baroque opulence.

"Van Dyke, obviously, but Van Dyke on another planet," smiled Facchinetti, explaining her inspiration, as the models - their backs dusted in silver, their lips the palest brown - gathered for a second show for clients. The models were practically smoldering and knew they had just walked in something important.

The Antwerp-born painter's influence shown through in the rich color scheme and swirling volumes. Alessandra sure loves her trains, attaching them to open backed red chiffon dresses with artful obi "paperoles," or extending them from absinthe fitted chiffon columns, a prairie of origami flowers.

Two models in capes looked like princesses at some future distant court, an idyllic organic era where we've long solved global warming and live for elegance.

Adding to the Sci-Fi mood was a soundtrack of serial music from the likes of Philip Glass and Brian Eno, mixed in with scraps from German Techno artist Ellen Allien. Rolling electronic kettledrums at the finale evoked a spaceship taking off.

A former creative director of Gucci, and an alumnus of Prada and Moncler, Facchinetti is the first female in charge of a major haute couture house in four decades - and all at just 35.

But what we'll most recall is the sheer beauty of the collection, and the audacity of this young couturier to take, and bring off, such a tricky and refined idea. A star couturier is born.