Valentino Garavani and Natalia Vodianova at Musee Nissim de Camodo in Paris 2011 by Kevin Tachman
Dear Shaded Viewers,
Somerset House in London will be celebrating 50-years of Valentino with an exhibition entitled Valentino: Master of Couture (29 November – 3 March 2013). More than 153 hand-crafted designs worn by icons such as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren and Gwyneth Paltrow will be on display.
Valentino with models, 2007 by Lorenzo Agius www.aandrphotographic.co.uk
On display will be dresses from the couture collections as well as designs commissioned by private clients. The fact that the public will be able to have an up close view of the craftsmanship that goes into the making of a couture garment is extremely rare.
2002 2003 Fall/Winter HC embroidered oriental dress copyright Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum
The exhibition design was created specially for Somerset House by the design team Kinmonth Monfreda, long time collaborators of Valentino and realised in collaboration with Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti. Alistair O'Neill has curated the exhibition for Somerset House with Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda.
2005 Spring/Summer HC Boldini-style chiffon white evening dress
copyright Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum
The exhibition will be divided into Valentino – where you will find previously unseen personal photographs, couture invitations and images of Valentino at work and play from his personal archive in Wideville, France.
The Catwalk – Sommerset House's Embankment Galleries will be transformed into a glamorous couture catwalk which is sixty-meters long.
The Atelier and les petits mains- Leaving the catwalk behind, the viewers will descend the stairs and see the exquisite wedding dress of Princess Marie-Chantal made out of ten different kinds of lace. Beyond that you will be privy to Valentino's latest passion, the Valentino Garavan Virtual Museum which will allow the visitors to explore the Valentino legacy.
Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R1LA
29 November – 3 March
