Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's Red Valentino collection isn't sold at the new Valentino flagship on Fifth Avenue, which just opened in the old Takashimaya space. The growing diffusion label will be getting a store of its own soon—it's got a unique identity—but separating the two brands might be a missed opportunity. Just think of all the mother-daughter shopping sprees.

Spring's Red Valentino offering skews young—sandals-and-ankle-socks young. The theme, said the designers via phone from Rome, is "Cinderella hitting Las Vegas after a love affair with a sailor," and in keeping with that unexpected, almost kooky starting point, there were marinière stripes in navy and red and peacoats on the one hand, and a frothy party dress in pastel blue on the other. And because no contemporary collection is complete without a novelty sweatshirt, the designers emblazoned theirs with giant anchors. "Cindierella" another sweatshirt read, with the "indie" portion underlined, but the vibe here was charming, not edgy. Even the moto jacket was sweetened up with white star-shaped studs, making the inevitable Mom-can-I-have-that requests easier to agree to. And for mama herself? A pair of black dresses, one short, one long, with grommeted edges and just-this-side-of-sexy lacing up the sides.