art Antoine KRUK
Dear Shaded Viewers,
The work and the world of Valentino can be summed up in two words – the best. What separated Valentino from the common crowd was a resolution that it must be right or not at all, no compromise; and this was always reflected in everything he did.
Let us start with the hard work behind the aura of luxury and elegance, which on first sight might indicate a dilettante attitude towards the work, but nothing could be further from the truth.
I’m going back some years, and it was the day before the Haute Couture Show in Paris: we are in the Paris Headquarters in Place Vendome, a white catwalk with white screens and lights have been set up in the main salon, every model booked for the show comes for her fittings and has both full hair and make up done. Nothing is left to chance – from the perfect eye shadow to the perfect shoe. The tailoring fitter had been with Valentino over twenty years, and that day the two experts were sizing up the very tip of the sleeve head where it is inserted into the armhole – yes, a tiny soupçon more might be shaved out to create the perfection of perfection.
This is artistry, this is craft, and this is what separated Valentino from so many others who have followed on the fashion planet hoping to be stars – they cannot actually do it. Earrings were tried on, swapped, discarded and replaced. The balance of the image of every girl in every outfit must be correct, and Valentino’s unerring eye knew when it was right. He was no “figurehead designer”; of course, there was help and support and teams of people working on a thousand projects but for the final creative pulse there was only one man with that eye for luxury, quality, and perfection; Valentino.
I knew back then that the lights in the building occupied in Paris would blaze until late, as each model arrived and the day progressed from afternoon to night. There would be model bookers, assistants, PRs, and dozens of those people necessary to run a luxury label at the peak of perfection, but Valentino would be working through it all. If he left the room, it was only for an interview, a sound bite for a TV crew, a problem to deal with – not for a rest. Valentino was a craftsman, a creative genius, a purveyor of luxury, and a force within the history of fashion, and he worked bloody hard.
Historically, there is no denying the contribution he has made to the aesthetics of style across a staggering number of seasons. Let us review a few of them. There is the justly famous all white collection of 1968, then there is Valentino Red, mainly for drop dead gorgeous Red Carpet dresses: I have a feeling Valentino was designing for the Red Carpet before there was one and I believe it was invented especially for him; but there’s also red for suits, cocktails and anything Valentino might feel for at that moment.
Next on my list is how amazing it is when we look at his glamorisation of animal print as far back as 1965/66 when the association with it could be a trifle common. His flare for the dramatic is demonstrated in floor length coats over satin pyjamas, or by the choice of luxury giraffe prints on a bold Dolce Vita scale rather than teensy leopard prints. We must not forget the perfect column Oscar gown, often draped and wrapped with an expertise learnt perhaps from Jean Desses, but developed through Valentino’s own signature style into an understated sexiness which flatters, conceals and reveals all at the same time.
The perfect tailored suit and coat; the bread and butter of any label, the day wear can be the most difficult to pull off as fashion shifts and tailoring moves further and further away from structure. The Valentino suit was always a gentle breeze of fabric following the contours of the body but without rigid lines or seemingly any support or infrastructure to hold it. In truth the dressmaker suit is almost a Valentino invention with its femininity and curvaceous qualities, it is extremely hard for a model not to give a little wiggle in a Valentino suit and produce the classic Italian wolf whistle reaction. Often created to be worn over nothing or the skimpiest of lingerie, it’s not very PC perhaps, but a surprise when we are talking about suits. The Valentino coat also had a flirtatious feel to it, never over-structured and often with extraordinary details to just lift it from functional garment into the realm of the special and again often a sexy flip or swing in the hem.
The perfectly decorated shift dress from, again, the 60s onwards was another Valentino signature piece. This seemingly simple nothing, or in the wrong hands, deeply unflattering garment, requires a lightness of touch and a new viewpoint from a designer each season. The there is Valentino and graphic monochrome; throughout his career Valentino always understood the power of black, white, and of course black & white in fashion terms. Inspirations varied from simple Aubrey Beardsley sinuous lines through to Werkstatte boldness and encompass the little black dress and the perfect white pants suit. Palazzo glamour in pyjamas, gowns, and poolside caftans of unrivalled splendour were Valentino specialities; prints handled in a dazzling variety of scales from miniature through to oversized grand were constructed, carved, and decorated in a vision of 1001 nights which would have kept Scheherazade occupied.
These are just a few of the contributions Mr Valentino made to the history of fashion over the forty plus years. Extending over a longer career than we can imagine, one could cite almost endlessly his myriad styles, all enclosed within the brackets of the Valentino look: polished, professional, glamorous, international, chic, stylish and above all desirable. To women all over the world, spanning a wide range of ages, nationalities, and types, from those clad in jeans to the true divas.
The key to Valentino was perhaps a combination of two characteristics; a strong personal vision, which edits out the unsuitable in a trice plus a total commitment to the finish and quality of the product. From a glass of water to a ball gown, it must be right: and it must say Valentino.
Over many seasons I had the privilege of being behind the scenes at Valentino. I have watched fittings, been backstage after the show, sat front row with my notebook and even been to dinner with the Valentino team. There are certain observations, which must be made about the general ethos and behaviour of Mr Valentino and his team. Firstly, the only words which can safely be applied to anything to do with the House of Valentino are class act, and first class only. Secondly, that calmness and courtesy are prerequisites for belonging to the team: even during the tensest moments of collections, time, tempers, and tantrums are absent. Italian outbursts are short lived and swiftly often followed by laughter. Finally, we must add that charm, and style pervades the house from the elegant young woman who works at the reception desk through to Carlos de Souza and Olivia Berghauer who across the seasons have been so much more than merely the public relations face of the house.
It is important to realise how it started. Valentino went to Paris to study a t the Ecole des Beaux Arts, followed by the course at the Chambre Syndicale School (allied to the Chambre Syndicale now FHCM who approve and organise members of their association for both ready-to-wear and Haute Couture). Valentino then went to Guy Laroche, followed by around eight years at Jean Desses. This at a time when couture really counted, made to measure was still what ruled the fashion world for both the names and inspiration: what Paris showed today the rest of the world copied a season or two later. Compare this training with those who have just completed a three year BA course and then start to launch their own label. Valentino was into his thirties before he launched solo and thus understood technique as well as design. Observe the draping of the Valentino gown – so effortless and perfectly proportioned; note the clean silhouette of a fitted jacket -created to flatter. These skills cannot be picked up in five minutes or faked – they must be learnt.
When Valentino met Mr. Giammetti and formed both a personal and business partnership, he had both the experience and clarity of vision which have given the image and product a solid foundation to build upon – even when the rest of the fashion world was on another planet evoking grunge or deconstructionism.
What many miss, incidentally, is that the Valentino signature did adapt to fashion shifts. The deconstruction movement, for example, resulted in softer unstructured
tailoring and grunge was reflected in a new mix and mis match exuberance.
Valentino was no fool when it came to the world around him, he might have remained faithful to his image, but he knew what is happening and updated his approach accordingly. It is interesting, I believe, that Mr Valentino straddled the world of fashion rather than occupying a small corner. Born Italian, trained in Paris, famous for dressing Hollywood, comfortably at home in London where he had a house, socialising in New York with Andy Warhol or preparing dresses for Jacqueline Kennedy to wear on a visit to Cambodia – there was nothing narrow in his vision of the world, even if that
world was special and luxurious.
In closing this tribute, I offer two personal glimpses of Valentino, which perhaps counterbalance, or complement, the fittings and fashion side of his life. They go some way to explaining why he continued to enjoy, even relish the life he created for himself. Although he was the public face of the house he founded with Mr. Giametti all those years ago, there was also a private man and the two anecdotes I offer are just my brief glimpses of that ‘private’ Valentino.
Firstly, in London, at a West End charity benefit performance of Mary Poppins the musical, with Julie Andrews as special guest in attendance, the unexpected sight Mr Valentino and Mr Giammetti in their private box with friends having a wonderful night out and smiling and laughing and applauding like mad. The second was at a dinner at the Ritz following a presentation of the Haute Couture. On the Sunday Mr Valentino was working all day with the fittings; the show was at 7.00pm on the Monday and it is now after midnight. As I pass on my way to get a drink, Mr Valentino was laughing uproariously at an obviously, scandalous anecdote being recounted by Carlos de Souza, whilst he was spooning the very last drop of a large dish of tiramisu.
It is safe to surmise that Valentino not only enjoyed La Dolce Vita, but he also imbued it with joie de vivre. After his retirement in 2008 I for one always missed his presence about the house of Valentino, obviously he has been replaced, and the house must move forward without him. However, my thoughts are with all the house team and his friends and of course his lifelong partner, Mr Giammetti. I was privileged to spend time at the House of Valentino when he was there, and I’d say there was only ever one Mr Valentino, walking into the salons with his own particular confidence and usually heralded by a troop of snuffling pugs.
Arriverdverci Mr. Valentino.
