Fashion lovers take note: ‘Valentino: Master of Couture’ opens
More than 130 delicate haute couture designs worn by top icons such as Grace Kelly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sophia Loren will be showcased by the Italian fashion designer Valentino at a new major exhibition celebrating his life and work. Valentino: Master of Couture opens its doors at the Embankment Galleries in Somerset House, The Strand today and will run until 3rd March 2013.
Valentino is the founder of SpA brand and company and his main lines include Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, and R.E.D Valentino. The Italian fashion guru has one simple principle when it comes to design “I know what women want, they want to be beautiful.”
Valentino has designed for princesses, first ladies and Hollywood icons and has often been described as having an ‘abundance of raw talent.’ His dresses are described as clean and modern but completely feminine.
The exhibition will be divided into three sections. The first section offers fashion lovers the opportunity to privately view Valentino’s world through photographs from his personal archive, giving an intimate portrait of his life.
In the second section, Valentino rebels against the typical fashion show by reversing the roles of the visitors and the models. Visitors will be the ones walking the catwalk to view an astounding 130 pieces of haute couture designs.
The final section then unravels the intense yet detailed and precise processes of crafting couture, illustrated initially by the magnificent wedding dress of Princess Marie Chantel of Greece. Visitors will also be given the chance to view a select group of films that peep behind-the-scenes of being a designer.
Highlights of this exciting exhibition include the vintage dress worn by Julia Roberts when she won the Academy Award in 2001 and Jackie Onassis’s wedding dress from Valentino’s 1968 White Collection. Valentino: Master of Couture promises a voyage into the mysterious world of Italian couture.
This elite, fashionable experience is being held at Somerset House, The Strand, London, WCR 1LA, with tickets costing £12.50.
After enjoying some of the world’s finest fashion designs, why not pay our chef Nigel Mendham a visit and enjoy some of the world’s finest tasting cuisine, too?
Image courtesy of Georges Biard
