Valentino: Master of Couture

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1 Valentino: Master of Couture Somerset House Valentino: Master of Couture was a sumptuous and stylish exhibition that demonstrated the influence Valentino has held in the fashion industry during his extensive career, spanning the past fifty years of his life. Drawn simultaneously from the archives of the Valentino Atelier and his personal archives, it took residence at Somerset House from November 29th 2012 to March 3rd Through showing examples of many aspects of the life of Valentino, from personal photos and invitations to custom-made atelier gowns and accompanying informative texts, the exhibition dissected the life of this legendary designer into a collage of inspiration - touching the lives of many public figures and royalty worldwide over the past half a century. Working closely with Giancarlo Giammetti, Mr Valentino s business partner since 1960, Alistair O Neil and the curation team ensured they created an exhibition that Valentino himself would approve of, and constantly strived to receive his seal of approval. As soon as we started installing, Mr. Valentino would arrive, making announced or unannounced visits to see how it was progressing. It s thankfully, been a very happy process, (O Neill, 2012) The exhibition progressed through a series of rooms on the ground floor and an upper floor, connected by chic glass spiral staircases. Exhibits within these spaces were grouped according to their contents - personal items such as photographs and correspondences though to catwalk presentations of couture Valentino gowns, all showcasing the life experiences and style of this prolific designer. Works were grouped and displayed in themed sections, creating a cohesive overall presentation.

2 Upon arrival at Somerset House s Embankment Galleries, visitors were greeted by a large rectangular light-box encompassing most of the floor space, onto which images and quotes were being projected. Due to the angle at which viewers looked upon this lit platform the projections became increasingly hard to see, meaning that unfortunately the impact of the images being depicted became somewhat lost in the confusion - an opinion that seemed to resonate through the room and within reviews of the exhibition. Progressing on from this somewhat unsuccessful first encounter with the exhibition space, the second room delves into the unique and previously private sphere of Valentino s life. The space showcases formerly unseen personal photographs, couture invitations and images of Valentino from his own exclusive archive in Wideville, France. Visitors are met by large rectangular glass display cabinets along three walls, balanced on gilded white chairs that appeared to be floating around the perimeter of the room at waist height. Fixed to the wall by their backs, the chairs face inwards like the front row surrounding a catwalk, with the visitors and displays as the main attraction. The exhibits themselves maintain a beautifully ordered appearance within the gleaming glass chambers, enabling people clear and easy visibility to their desirable contents. Visitors move slowly in single file along the edge of the cabinets, trying to take in as much of the contents as their eyes will let them. Although some of the items may be considered somewhat unnecessary or trivial, there was a behind-the-scenes feel to the exhibits with many being something the general public would have no other opportunity to see in their lifetimes. The correspondences between Valentino and some of the most influential people in the fashion industry were unique; a rare insight into the private lives of some incredibly famous and iconic people. The lighting within this space has a particularly complex and triumphant role even with the large expanses of pristine glass the lighting is exceptionally clear, with not a hint of glare obscuring the displays contents. The centre of the room is not lit at all, with all the light necessary to illuminate the room coming from the cabinets themselves, visibly highlighting the important focal features of the room and naturally guiding visitors towards them.

3 The catwalk display on the upper floor of the exhibition at Somerset House s Embankment Galleries was no doubt intended to be the focal point, yet the success of this area is somewhat debatable. The intention was to create a clever reversal of roles, in which the visitor adopts the role of the model walking along a sixty-metre catwalk. During this, they view the audience a series of over one hundred and thirty mannequins all dressed in Valentino Couture. Examples of exquisite women s garments from the past fifty years were interspersed with each other on colour-coded mannequins, allowing visitors to ascetain the decade within which each garment was produced by referring to their exhibition brochure. This colour-coding also allowed visitors to identify trends and styles that have reappeared throughout the last fifty years, and are once again present in the more contemporary examples of Valentino couture, reiterating the longstanding idea of a trend cycle within the fashion industry. Rather than grouping chronologically the garments are grouped thematically tones of black and white, classic and iconic Valentino red and billowing voluminous gowns, for example. All of the mannequins have a number attached that correlates to the description in the exhibition brochure, but they do not climb in a regular ascending numerical order. This issue with regards to ordering does provide an area of confusion for visitors, especially due to the popularity and high capacity of people attending at any given time. Navigating through this narrow walk-way became chaotic, with people doubling back and consulting their brochures in a bewildered and eventually frustrated manner, disorientated and distracted by trying to decide what they were meant to be looking at next. Unfortunately, this commotion caused some of the magic of the area to die out; although the idea behind the display is clever and is visually beautiful at first glance, in actuality it becomes less successful when the public are forced to interact with it.

4 Each of these designs have a beautiful story, says Valentino. The atelier crafted each so diligently by hand, taking hours, sometimes days to complete. The details are incredibly intricate, though outside the runway shows and events, the dresses have rarely been seen, so to be able to showcase these designs at Somerset House, where they can be seen in great detail by the public, is very unique. (Valentino, 2012). A crucial aspect of the presentation of the garments in this catwalk space is the focus on the people within the atelier, and the importance of drawing attention and educating people on the small-scale production techniques and skills which, without careful consideration, could potentially die out. This ethos is shown again in the final room of the exhibition, where a series of specially made films show the detail and artistry behind the couture techniques that go into a Valentino gown, including the Budellini technique - exclusive to Valentino. The saving grace to this somewhat hit-and-miss exhibition is the concise and informative exhibition brochure and labelling system used throughout. Giving each visitor their own brochure allows for a new level of momentum and movement to be achieved within the exhibition space, rather than people crowding to read a static label attached to a display. The detailed descriptions allowed visitors to interact with the garments with greater depth and knowledge; well paired with the use of open displays in the catwalk area allowing for increased visibility of the embellishments and subtleties of the clothing. As explained in the exhibition guide, the programme allows people to interact with information about the couture on display, reflecting the convention for identifying designs in a couture presentation, first established in the early twentieth century in Paris and London. (Somerset House, 2012) Descending the spiral staircase into the final section of the exhibition with the wedding dress of Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece coming into view is a spectacular moment, and the simplistic display shows off the gown perfectly - without falling prey to the notion of cluttering a space with excessive exhibits. The curation team consisting of Alistair O Neill, Antoino Monfreda and Patrick Kinmoth created an exhibition that focused on the quality of the specially selected items showcased to a high standard and allowed to shine, rather than overcrowding the space with exhibits and reducing the overall impact.

5 The vast selection of pieces and the method of display confirm the undeniable success and influence Valentino has had, with his skills and influence extending far beyond the boundaries of the fashion industry. The exhibition appeals to a contemporary audience whilst showcasing historic pieces from the previous fifty years. The planning and thought put into the environment by the curation team interacted well with the garments, creating a cohesive and enriching exhibition that captivated visitors as they moved through the gallery at Somerset House. The issue regarding the confusion aroused whilst progressing through the displays in the upper catwalk area were somewhat disappointing, but were not sufficient enough to extinguish the undeniable recognition Valentino deserves, and has received through this extensive exhibition. The show provided a rare and intriguing glimpse into the private sphere of a fashion icon.