Valentino successor shows respect

It was never going to be easy to fill the immaculate shoes of Valentino Garavani at his eponymous fashion house - but Alessandro Facchinetti appears to have passed her first test. The 35-year-old Italian designer sent out a collection at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris which had Valentino loyalists giving their thumbs-up.

Described as "respectful" and "pretty and modern" by Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino's business partner for 45 years until his recent retirement, Facchinetti kept true to her 75-year-old predecessor's core values of femininity and sophistication. It was a case of evolution not revolution as the trademark 'Valentino red' was used for slender evening dresses, and Valentino staples such as suits and day coats were sent down the catwalk.

The fashion press gave the collection an encouraging welcome. In the International Herald Tribune, Suzy Menkes praised Facchinetti for "her gentle take on femininity. [She] got it right for the first time out." In the New York Times, Cathy Horan saw the collection as "pleasing... respectful and graphic", but warned against too much respect for the great designer making future collections "boring".

Facchinetti will be painfully aware of the pitfalls involved in taking over at an iconic fashion house - she was appointed to replace Tom Ford at Gucci in 2004 but was fired after two seasons following "disagreements with the management".