Val-Invito Dinner-Ballo-ITA

INTRODUCTION
THE LOCATIONS
THE EXHIBITION
THE SHOW
THE BOOK
A BIOGRAPHY OF VALENTINO
PROFILE OF VALENTINO S.P.A.
THE PROGRAMME
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
INTRODUCTION
“I wish to thank the Mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, the Minister for Culture, Francesco Rutelli, and the
City of Rome for the hospitality they gave us in order to celebrate here our 45 years of activity”, Valentino
declared. “We have the privilege of being in these days in the company of our guests, of our friends and
of all the Romans, in some of the most beautiful historical sites not only of the city but of the whole
world. Sites such as Ara Pacis, the Temple of Venus and the Parco dei Daini in Villa Borghese. A privilege that makes me extremely happy, in the only city where I feel truly at home, where I founded my atelier and where I continue to work with my closest collaborators. A city where I take pride in feeling I
belong and that once again I can show to the world in all of its beauty”.
The maison Valentino will celebrate its 45 years of life in Rome, on the 6th, 7th and 8th of July, with the
High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic.
Three days of events will exalt, with the charm of Italian Haute Couture, of which Valentino is the most
important representative in the world, the splendour of Rome and the work of the only couturier that
for so long has been the soul and the creative force of the company that bears his name.
Backdrop to these events, some of the most important historical buildings and cultural institutions of
the capital, thanks to the Ministry for Culture and to the City of Rome.
On the 6th of July, under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic and in the presence of
the Mayor of Rome and of high offices of the State and of the Municipality, an exceptional retrospective
dedicated to Valentino and his world will be inaugurated.
On the 7th, for the first time in 17 years, Valentino presents in Rome, and not in Paris as usual, his new
Haute Couture collection, holding a show for 1.000 guests.
The cultural and mundane events will see the participation of Valentino’s friends, celebrities, opinion
leaders and the most highly qualified world press, putting Rome, once again, at the centre of the international fashion and glamour world.
THE LOCATIONS
For the celebrations of the 45 years of his maison, the Municipality of Rome and the Ministry for Culture
– thanks to the generosity of Mayor Walter Veltroni and of Minister Francesco Rutelli – have given
Valentino the opportunity to choose the locations for his events and his parties.
Valentino chose four - the Museum of Ara Pacis, the Temple of Venus, the Monumental Complex of the
Santo Spirito in Sassia, and the Parco dei Daini of Villa Borghese - for their artistic and historical value, and
for the symbolic value by which each of them refers to different aspects of his creations and of his world.
The Museum of Ara Pacis: Classicism and Modernity
The venue of the exhibit “Valentino a Roma: 45 Years of Style”, recently renovated and extended by
Richard Meier, one of the greatest contemporary architects, the Museum of Ara Pacis is both an invitation to peace among people and a symbol of the new vocation of Rome to look at the future, conjugating
modernity and tradition, a sense of times past and of times to come.
A spectacular symbol exalted by the staging of the exhibit designed by Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio
Monfreda, who have found in the dialogue between classicism and extreme contemporaneity the sense of
the relationship between the museum and the spirit that for 45 years has permeated Valentino’s creations.
The Temple of Venus: the Present and Tradition
The Temple of Venus, where the party after the inauguration of the retrospective will be held, is one of
the most impressive and best preserved treasures of Rome.
In front of the Colosseum, it rises upon an artificial terrace in the same spot where there once was the
atrium of Domus Aurea; it has lost over the years a considerable part of its original characteristics,
which in this occasion Valentino wants to restore to the sight and experience of Rome and of the
Romans, and of the guests that will be in Rome to celebrate him, rebuilding the image of the Temple of
Venus as it was, with its grandiose colonnade.
The staging is by Dante Ferretti, one of the most important scenographers of the world. Author of the
sets of unforgettable movies directed by, among others, Fellini, Pasolini, Scorsese, between Hollywood
and Cinecittà, Ferretti has created for the Temple a setting that is both technological and neoclassical:
a set that becomes show in and of itself. Another way to underline the strong relationship between classicism and the future, and between Valentino and Rome, which is at the heart of the life and the professional activity of the couturier. The evening will be enlivened by an aerial-dance show conceived by
Valerio Festi, which will come to life with the backdrop of the striking scenography of the Colosseum and
of the ruins of Fori Imperiali that surround the Temple of Venus.
The Monumental Complex of Santo Spirito in Sassia: the Atelier and the City
Valentino will present his new Haute Couture collection in the Baglivi and Incisa halls of the
Monumental Complex of the Santo Spirito in Sassia, the oldest charitable institution of Rome.
Surrounded by a long series of photographs representing the history and the work of Valentino, a virtual projection of his atelier on the walls of the building, the setting of the show talks about the context
of his studio, where his work has come and comes to life.
The Parco dei Daini: Neoclassicism and Faraway Countries
After the show in Santo Spirito, Valentino will receive his guests for a gala dance in the Parco dei Daini
of Villa Borghese, a masterpiece of Italian garden architecture – one of Valentino’s passions – that in the
orientalist charm of the staging refers to the couturier’s taste for exotic details, to his love for faraway
countries and for the traditional cultures that he explored, also through imaginary travels, constantly
bringing them into his work.
Exceptionally, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a nocturnal visit of Galleria Borghese, escorted
by guides, discovering not only the unmatched masterpieces of the museum, but also the sources of
classical and neoclassical imagery that have always inspired Valentino’s work.
THE EXHIBITION
With an exhibit of approximately 300 dresses and rare archival materials, “Valentino a Roma: 45 Years
of Style” is the great retrospective that celebrates the 45 years of creativity of Valentino through a spectacular staging at the Museum of Ara Pacis.
A perfect synthesis of classicism and modernity, the Museum, recently renovated and extended by the architect
Richard Meier, is the ideal place to host the work of the couturier who, more than anyone else, puts together an
ageless ideal of beauty with the shapes that such an ideal takes on with the changing of seasons and of fashion.
Created by Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda, the exhibit develops inside and around the Ara Pacis –
the altar that is among the most significant evidences of art in the age of Augustus, symbol of peace and prosperity – and it creates an exact chronological perspective, visible to passers-by also on the outside of the
Museum, in order to emphasize the relationship that connects Valentino to Rome, and Rome to Valentino.
Following the structure of the Museum, the exhibit “Valentino a Roma: 45 Years of Style” is also divided
in two: on the second floor it shows the chronological evolution and some of the most significant creations of Valentino, in an installation that has them cohabit and converse with the sacred presence of the
altar and with the modernity of Meier’s architecture.
In the rooms of the first floor, instead, the history of the maison is shown through its archive and
through the dresses that many famous women have worn for the most important occasions, making
Valentino the most iconic couturier.
On the second floor, in the rooms that lead to the altar, a selection of dresses only in white, black and
red, reveals their graphic perfection, exalted by the backdrop of the contemporary spaces and by the
delicate colours of the Museum.
Still on the second floor, though along the perimeter of the building – therefore detached from the
“action” that takes place in the inside of the Museum – a retrospective retraces chronologically, with a
minimum of one dress for each year, Valentino’s work and the different stages of his evolution.
At the entrance, a closed and mysterious space: a cavern of marvels where golden mannequins stand out
and float along the walls, clad in spectacular dresses to lead us inside the magical world of Valentino.
On the first floor, using a completely different expository language, a selection of dresses worn by celebrities, along with videos, drawings, accessories, are evidence of the creative process, of the working
method and of the universe of Valentino.
The exhibit’s catalogue, published by Taschen, includes an accurate philological analysis of dresses and of the
items being shown, in addition to critical texts written specifically for this occasion by the curators, by the Mayor
of Rome Walter Veltroni, and by some of the most important personalities in journalism and fashion criticism.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Valentino a Roma: 45 Years of Style
Museum of Ara Pacis - Lungotevere in Augusta – Rome
From July 6th to October 28th, 2007
www.arapacis.it
THE SHOW
At 5pm on July 7th, for the first time in 17 years, Valentino will present in Rome his new Haute Couture
collection.
For the occasion, the catwalk show will have an extraordinary setting: the Incisa and Baglivi halls of the
monumental complex of Santo Spirito in Sassia, magnified by a staging of both classical and technological inspiration which exalts the extraordinary workmanship of the dresses that for 45 years women
around the world have learnt to love and desire.
Over 1,000 people will attend the event, including government and city officials, friends, celebrities,
clients and leading figures from the international press.
THE BOOK
‘A Great Italian Story’ is the title of the monographic book published by Taschen, the prominent art,
design and photography publishing house.
This wonderful ‘giant book’ measuring 33 x 44 cm – in itself an extremely modern design object – pays
homage to Valentino’s career. It contains a rich selection of images from his archives: drawings, adverts,
photographic reportages from magazines, portraits and photographs of Valentino’s life and work, presented in chronological order and accompanied by a selection of articles about him taken from periodicals from all over the world.
Contributors to the volume, edited by Armando Chitolina, include some of the most well-known personalities of the world of fashion, style and creativity: Graydon Carter, Jacqueline de Ribes, Farah Diba,
Rupert Everett, John Fairchild, Patrick McCarthy, Ingrid Sischy, Franca Sozzani and Anna Wintour.
Matt Tyrnauer, the special correspondent for Vanity Fair America, has curated the main text of the volume: an in-depth portrait of the designer, composed also through the testimony of friends and collaborators. Suzy Menkes, the highly-respected fashion critic of the International Herald Tribune, has written the introduction.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
A Great Italian Story
Chitolina, Armando (edited by) / Tyrnauer, Matt / Menkes, Suzy
Hard cover + Box, 33 x 44 cm, 736 pages
ISBN 978-3-8228-4844-9
July 2007
In French, English, Italian and German
www.taschen.com
A BIOGRAPHY OF VALENTINO
Valentino is one of the most important and innovative designers in the world of fashion. From his unforgettable catwalk show at Palazzo Pitti in 1962 to the Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on him by
the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2000, to the French Legion d’ Honneur awarded to him
by the President of the French Republic in 2005, his 45 years of creative and entrepreneurial accomplishments encapsulate the essence of the Made in Italy label, making his name an international synonym
for elegance and imagination, modernity and everlasting beauty.
Valentino was still a teenager when he left his hometown of Voghera, where he was born in 1932, for
Paris, having already the intention of turning fashion into his career and life. In what was then the real
capital of culture and unrivalled Haute Couture, he worked for a number of years alongside Jean Dessès
and then Guy Laroche, developing and refining his taste and a clear precocious talent.
In the early 1960s, when he thought his training period in Paris had come to an end, he moved to Rome
to set up his first atelier. Here he met Giancarlo Giammetti, a young architecture student, who would
share his aspirations and ideas and would become his business partner. From then onwards, Giammetti
assumed the responsibility of all strategic and business-related aspects of the house, thus contributing
to the realisation of one of the most important and solid partnerships of the history of fashion.
Those were the days of ‘la Dolce Vita’, with Hollywood stars in Rome making the films that would mark
the history of that era. Word began to spread about a brilliant new creator of fashion; the rise of
Valentino began. By the mid-1960s he was already considered the undisputed maestro of Italian
Couture, receiving in 1967 the Neiman Marcus Award, the equivalent of an Oscar in the field of fashion.
The Begum Aga Khan, Farah Diba, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Marella Agnelli and
Princess Margaret were already customers as well as personal friends.
For his famous 1968 ‘white collection’, Valentino used for the first time the monogram of the house as
a distinguishing decorative feature, indeed inventing what would then turn into ‘logomania’. The ‘V’ logo
appeared on fabrics and accessories, forming buckles on bags and belts. It was the first in a string of
strategic ideas that would change the history of ready-to-wear.
During the 1970s and 1980s Valentino was the first Italian designer to launch Ready-to-Wear collections
for men and women; to open boutiques in Rome and Milan, in the United States and the Far East; to
draw up licensing agreements for the worldwide distribution of his creations; and to devise advertising
campaigns with the collaboration of new innovative and talented photographers. This gained him an
increasing number of successes and awards, including the title of “Grande Ufficiale dell’Ordine al
Merito” which he received by the President of the Italian Republic Sandro Pertini and “Cavaliere di Gran
Croce” which he received by the President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga.
These years saw the confirmation of his success: the most famous women of the world and members
of the aristocracy wore his designs on red carpets and to the most exclusive and photographed parties
and wedding ceremonies. And Valentino became the glamour designer par excellence. His advertising
campaigns, with their perfect castings, devised and realised by young talents destined to become very
successful, were an expression of unparalleled aesthetics. Valentino became synonym for Italian
fashion at its most sophisticated.
In 1982 the Metropolitan Museum of New York opened its doors to fashion for the first time, hosting a
Valentino catwalk show. In the same year, Franco Maria Ricci published a lavish monographic book
about him, which would be the first of a long series to be dedicated to him.
In February 1990, Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti founded the charity L.I.F.E. under the patronage of
Elizabeth Taylor, to help children affected by HIV-related illnesses.
The first thirty years of his career were celebrated in 1991 with a succession of prestigious events.
‘Valentino. Thirty years of magic’ was both the title of a monographic book and an exhibition held at
Palazzo Mignanelli, the maison’s headquarters, displaying over 300 of his garments. The Italian state
television broadcaster RAI screened a full-length film about Valentino’s world and life, while another
exhibition brought together a collection of works by some of fashion’s leading photographers and illustrators, all inspired by Valentino’s creations. Elizabeth Taylor, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and
Marisa Berenson were amongst the friends who celebrated with him at a gala with over 400 guests.
The following year, ‘Valentino: Thirty years of magic’ was shown in New York, representing Italy in the
ceremonies marking the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. In its opening two weeks, the
exhibition was seen by more than 70,000 visitors. Proceeds from the show were donated to the New York
Hospital to finance the building of a new wing for its AIDS Care Centre.
Valentino chose to celebrate his fashion house’s 40th anniversary in Los Angeles. The party, again in aid
of charity (collecting funds for the Child Priority foundation), was organised in collaboration with Steven
Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. The evening was also the occasion for the presentation of Il libro rosso di Valentino (‘Valentino’s red book’), edited by Franca Sozzani, containing pictures of 40 contemporary iconic women (including Ashley Judd, Gisele, Ines Sastre, Isabella Rossellini,
Kate Moss, Liz Hurley, Milla Jovovich and Naomi Campbell), all dressed in Valentino Red and photographed by top fashion photographers.
In 2001 Julia Roberts received her Academy Award wearing a ‘vintage’ Valentino gown, and was seen to
shine on all television screens, magazines and newspapers of the world, contributing to the launch of
what would become one of the most significant fashion trends of recent years: Vintage.
In 2002 Valentino represented Italy, and the country’s traditional ability to elevate creativity and craftsmanship to the highest levels with taste and supreme elegance, during the closing ceremony of the
2002 winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, broadcast worldwide on February 24th.
In the same year the Valentino brand was acquired by the Marzotto Group, one of the oldest and most
highly regarded textile and clothing manufacturers in the world. Valentino has maintained the role of
designer and creative director of all lines.
In 2006 Valentino accepted the invitation of his friend Meryl Streep and played himself in a short cameo
role in the widely discussed film The Devil Wears Prada, one of the most popular and successful pictures of the season.
Valentino’s 45 years of work represent a unique phenomenon in the history of fashion. Indeed, no great
designer has ever reached this target remaining for so long the creative soul and force of the company
that carries his name.
PROFILE OF VALENTINO S.P.A.
Valentino S.p.A. operates in the highest sector of the luxury market, offering products in the Haute
Couture and Ready-to-Wear segments. It is the first company to have taken a big name of Italian fashion
to the stock market, thus granting Valentino a new important entrepreneurial record.
Today Valentino is present in 69 countries with more than 1,250 outlets, 58 of which are directly managed and which make up more than 40% of the retail turnover. This goes hand in hand with the opening
of new stores in important international markets, such as Barcelona, Boston, Hong Kong and
Singapore, which have registered double-digit rates of sales growth.
In 2006 proceeds have reached 239.5 million Euros, an increase of 14.5% compared to 2005.
THE COLLECTIONS
Valentino includes the Haute Couture women’s collection and the women’s and men’s Ready-to-Wear lines.
The Haute Couture collection represents the highest level of the range and in the last year it has registered a sales growth of 25%.
The Ready-to-Wear collection, which is located in the highest sector of the relative segment, is tailored
to sophisticated and cosmopolitan female customers and it is found only in the most exclusive places of
the world’s main cities.
The men’s collections include Valentino Black Label and Valentino White Label, characterised by an
unmistakeable style and by the top quality of the materials and craftsmanship.
Valentino Garavani is the label of bags, shoes, small leatherwear, belts and bijoux, for men and women.
This is a line that invites the customer to sophisticated and inventive combinations, extending the
impeccable elegance of the garments.
Valentino Roma is a line that balances glamour and everyday, best interpreting women’s modern life.
This is a Ready-to-Wear project which is accessible and widely distributed, synthesising classic trends of
the house and casual styles, with a practical and technical vein which makes it perfectly suited to city life.
LICENCES
Through the considered policy of redistribution of licences put in place in recent years, today Valentino
S.p.A. controls a number of Valentino-labelled collections produced and distributed by licensee companies which are amongst the world’s most prestigious businesses.
The licensed collections include the young line R.E.D. Valentino, as well as perfumes, eyewear, watches,
ties and scarves, and bridal gowns.
Born in 2003 from a collaboration between Valentino S.p.A. and Sinv S.p.A., R.E.D. Valentino is a clothes
line featuring modern classics that can be combined in absolute freedom.
Since 2003 the Valentino fragrances are produced and distributed by Procter & Gamble and include:
Valentino V; Valentino V Absolu; V pour Homme; Very Valentino Femme; Very Valentino Homme;
Valentino Gold; Valentino Rock‘n’Rose.
Since 1997, Safilo has produced the elegant Valentino Eyewear sunglasses and frames.
The first Valentino Timeless watches collection, produced by Timex thanks to a licence agreement
signed in 2007, will be presented in April 2008.
Ties and scarves have been produced and distributed by Ratti since 1992.
Since 2005, bridal gowns have been produced and distributed by the Spanish brand Pronovias, a leading
company in the world market.
THE PROGRAMME
FRIDAY JULY 6TH
The first day is devoted to the Retrospective Exhibition:
11.00am
12.30pm
3.30pm
5.30pm
7.30pm
9.30pm
Ara Pacis Museum – Italian Press Conference
Ara Pacis Museum – Opening of the Exhibition for the Authorities
Ara Pacis Museum – Foreign Press Conference
Ara Pacis Museum – Opening of the Exhibition for Italian Guests
Ara Pacis Museum – Opening of the Exhibition for Foreign Guests
(with a setting designed by Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda)
Temple of Venus – Dinner for Foreign Guests (with a setting designed by Dante Ferretti
and the show “La nascita della Bellezza” choreographed by Valerio Festi)
SATURDAY JULY 7TH
The second day is devoted to the Haute Couture show and to the ball in the Parco dei Daini of Villa
Borghese:
5.00pm
9.30pm
Monumental complex of Santo Spirito in Sassia – Autumn/Winter 2007-2008 Haute Couture show
Parco dei Daini of Villa Borghese – Dinner and Ball (with a setting designed by Dante Ferretti)
SUNDAY JULY 8TH
Launch of the new Valentino perfume: Rock’n’Rose Couture:
12:30am
Ara Pacis Museum – Press Conference for the Launch of the new Rock‘n’Rose Couture perfume
PRESS CONTACTS
NOONA SMITH-PETERSEN - Tel. (+39) 02 3653 7328 - noona@smith-petersen.com
BEATRICE PIOVELLA - Tel. (+39) 02 6249 2511 - beatrice.piovella@valentino.it
WITH THE COOPERATION OF
SPECIAL THANKS TO
AND
TARONI, GENTILI MOSCONI, KARTELL