Meet the 17 Voices Behind Valentino's 'The Narrative II' Campaign
Get to know the 17 global literary figures Pierpaolo Piccioli selected for Valentino's newest words-only campaign.
Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli chose a literary route for Valentino's newest campaign. With Valentino the Narrative II, fans are introduced to 17 new voices for the words-only campaign.
Creating a liaison with culture and emphasizing the importance of literature, Valentino used this campaign to publicize its ongoing support for independent bookstores and Belletrist Book Club, a community established by Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss in 2017 for members to voice their opinions and discuss freely. As they promote literature in an increasingly digital world, it begs Valentino followers to slow down and appreciate the beauty of print. This campaign will be promoted in New York City as well as other fashion hubs around the world.
Join L’OFFICIEL in discovering the campaign's cast of writers, their many awards, and their words released March 21 with the hashtag #ValentinoNarratives.
Alok Vaid-Menona
A Texas-born writer, Alok Vaid-Menona has also been recognized as a model, performance artist, and personality promoting gender, sexual, and racial inclusivity. In November 2021, they headlined a comedy set. Commenting on it to New York Times, they said, “when you spend your entire life on being on one side of a joke, it's actually quite therapeutic to be able to make a joke.” It was a hit.
Amia Srinivasan
Bahrain philosopher studied at both University of Oxford and Yale University and is now the youngest Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College in Oxford at 37. Her published book, The Right to Sex, had her labeled as “a star” by Vogue, and the collection of non-fiction feminist essays will change our notions of sexual consent.
André Aciman
Known for his hit novel-turned-motion-picture Call Me By Your Name, André Aciman has an extensive list of published works. Born in Egypt, Aciman was raised in a French household but also learned Italian, Greek, and Arabic. Of course, he would end up in a profession dealing with language.
Andrew Sean Greer
Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer has had many short stories published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Esquire, and The Paris Review. He also wrote the critically-acclaimed novel The Story of a Marriage.
Brit Bennett
After graduating from Stanford University, Brit Bennet released her debut novel, The Mothers, in 2016 which quickly became a New York Times best-seller. Her second book, The Vanishing Half, was such a success that HBO acquired the rights shortly after its release in 2020.
David Sedaris
As a comic and writer, Sedaris slowly ventured into podcasting on the National Public Radio. Along with many best-selling works, he has been behind the films C.O.G, Do I Sound Gay?, and many others.
Douglas Coupland
The German-born, Canadian writer/artist’s resumé would be a mini-novel. He has published 13 novels, two short story collections, and seven non-fiction books. He also is a contributing author to many major publications including Vice and the New York Times. In addition to his written work, Coupland has been creating art since the early 2000s.
Elisabeth Acevedo
Dominican-American, New York native, Acevedo grew up in Harlem. She was the recipient of the National Book Award, Carnegie Medal, Michael L. Printz, 2018 Pura Belpre Award, and the Boston-Globe Hornbook Award Price for Best Children’s Fiction of 2018, to name a few.
Emily Ratajkowski
Known early on in her career as a sex symbol from her stardom in Robin Thicke's “Blurred Lines” music video, Ratajkowski has long been in the limelight. From model to influencer to entrepreneur to activist, Ratajkowski has never been confined to the idea of a single occupation. The young mother came out with her book My Body in October 2021, a series of essays criticizing and bringing attention to the objectification of women.
Fatima Farheen Mirza
Continuing her relationship with Valentino, Fatima Farheen Mirza was part of the brand's debut Narratives campaign. The California native was named a "5 under 35" Honoree in 2020 by the National Book Award Foundation. Her first novel, A Place for Us, follows a devout Muslim family living in California in the early 2000s. It was is the debut book published by Sarah Jessica Parker’s publishing imprint for Hogarth.
Hanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi is a British and Pakistani filmmaker, screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. In 2008, The Times listed Kureishi as one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.
Leila Slimani
Moroccan writer Leila Slimani served as a French diplomat for President Macron. Along with winning the coveted 2016 Goncourt Prize for her second novel Chanson douce, she is also an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, a prize that recognizes significant contributions to literature and arts.
Melissa Broder
Broder has contributed to Elle, Vice, Vogue Italia, The Cut, and The New York Times. Her popularized Twitter feed called "So Sad Today" was also published as a collection of essays.
Michael Cunningham
In 2007, Cunningham produced the film Evening with actors Glenn Close, Toni Collette, and Meryl Streep. His 1998 novel The Hours won a Pulitzer and PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999.
Mieko Kawakami
Osaka-native Mieko Kawakami has collected a plethora of awards in Japan at only 45 years old. Her career began with poetry but has progressed into her many novels including My Ego, My Teeth, and The World.
Murathan Mungan
With a superstar name, the Turkish author has also produced covers of many popular songs, written plays, and advocated for gay rights within Turkey and around the world. His first collection of poems Osmanliya Dair Hikayat blew up overnight.
Serang Chung
South Korean science fiction and fantasy writer Serang Chung has won many awards. She was the youngest Korean writer to have her work translated into Japanese. Her work School Nurse An Eunyoung was also turned into a Netflix series.