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The stunning Valentino Couture exhibition
at Somerset House was in its final week, so very busy (as you can see from the
queues outside). Photographs were prohibited, so I am unable to illustrate this
post with images of gorgeous gowns, but there are plenty of related resources available on the Internet.
ShopCurious was given a guided tour of the
exhibition by curator, Alistair O’Neill. The show was dedicated
purely to couture, and every one of the 138 gowns on display was made by hand.
As well as being a celebration of Valentino Garavani’s 50 year career in
fashion, the exhibition was also a tribute to the girls - le regazze - working in
his atelier.
In addition to a catwalk of spectacular
creations, with fantasy seating ‘placements,’ there was a section dedicated
to the technical skills of the atelier. This included a pagine cape, made using
a technique exclusive to Valentino, whereby silk pages, each taking a
seamstress half an hour to make, are sewn together to create a fabric.
Every outfit in the show tells a tale. The
bridal gown of Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece was six months in the making,
using 12 varieties of lace. A specially designed motif on the veil casts the
shadow of butterflies, thought to represent the soul in Greek mythology.
If you missed the exhibition, or are curious to discover more about the skilled work of a master couturier, a visit to the
Valentino Garavani virtual museum is a must.
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