The new Valentino flagship store on Via Montenapoleone has the character and atmosphere of a palazzo – a personal space, not simply a shop. Combining the old and the new, the store clearly communicates Valentino’s latest directions.
An enfilade of rooms, each with a different aspect of the collection, not only separate the different types of merchandise but are also imbued with distinct atmospheres created by a custom palette of colours, textures, surfaces and light.
The architecture is designed to complement the pieces on display, making use of a range of discreetly opulent materials – grey Venetian terrazzo with Carrara chippings, timber, marble, glass, thick leather, and soft carpets – to focus attention on the collections and evoke a sense of intimacy.
The design unifies these individual rooms into a consistent experience by surrounding an inset floor panel made of timber parquet, marble in black and white chessboard patterns, or wool and silk carpet, with a continuous Venetian terrazzo frame. In many cases, the challenging angles typical of found spaces have been enclosed within the walls to create rooms which demonstrate idealised geometries.
Wall finishes vary from room to room, including mirrors which have been sandblasted alternately on both sides, and custom-designed panels of extruded gypsum plaster or borosilicate glass tubes, to give the effect of frozen curtains running behind the clothing. At each threshold, the terrazzo rises from the floor to line the doorway, emphasising the thickness of the walls.
In contrast to the solidity of the architectural elements, the collection is displayed on slender polished carbon-fibre racks and shelving around the perimeter. These fixtures incorporate LED lighting, allowing each shelf or rack to be individually and almost invisibly illuminated.
The overhead lighting strategy reflects the variety of finishes and spaces, combining concealed ambient lighting and clear white product lights around the periphery of the rooms with warm lighting or decorative chandeliers in the centre. The chandeliers are assembled from optical lenses set in brass bezels into a range of shapes, including a pendant which fills the central void in the main stair.
Certain rooms have been finished with floor to ceiling marquetry shelving in American walnut, offering a more intimate experience, evocative of a gentleman’s library. The walls of the changing rooms are upholstered with leather, softening these very private spaces.
The freestanding furniture in each room has the feeling of a personal collection, mixing unique modern pieces and custom-built chests and storage units with stand-alone pieces inspired by Art Deco furniture.
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s stylistic approach for Valentino is based on the awareness that innovation is fueled by tradition, and that contrast is the essence of modernity. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the maison, the Creative Directors have launched a special project that combines present and past with dazzling continuity.
Their style is sleek and sharp: inspired by limpid modernism, it exalts a delicate grace.
New balances are achieved through unexpected combinations and a subtle search for the ‘perfect imperfection’. The initial passion behind the brand is revived not through a restyling of the past but with a forward-thinking approach because modernity is timeless.
This capsule collection is a cohesive collection of ready-to-wear and accessories.
A graphic sense of elegance with modular emotional clarity dominates the line. The system is closed, but the elements within can be reconfigured. Contrast is the defining note. Animal prints and pristine lines are featured. Lace brings, clear sense of romanticism to the picture, while rivets and patent leather add a dazzling urban touch.
The sleek collection is composed of silhouettes with crystalline purity transformed into animal print designs that are fierce but never lose their aplomb.
The collection includes iconic outerwear made of double cashmere and wool cloth: the cape with mysterious allure, the cool fitted pea coat, the flowing single – or double- breasted coat, the tunic-poncho, and the boxy top worn over a miniskirt.
Each is made in a different animal print: giraffe, jaguar, tiger, cheetah, zebra, and panther with solid color linings. Lace accentuates the contrast concept and contradicts ferine purity: there are tops and dresses with a band collar, modest yet sexy as well as pleated skirts, and shorts. The silhouette is sleek and legs are revealed.
Accessories complete the capsule collection with animal printed scarves, flat moccasins, derby shoes and Chelsea boots with low heels covered in large square studs, studded bangles, and a small studded velvet hobo bag with a bracelet handle. Produced in a limited number, this capsule collection will be sold in the Valentino boutique and comes with a coordinated animal print shopping bag.
Working with utmost lightness, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli establish their vision of contemporary style in an iconic moment for the maison and they bring it to life without nostalgia, focusing on the evocative power of unusual combinations.
The Valentino maison returns to Florence where the story began in 1962. A fine thread links past and present, the Sala Bianca and Palazzo Corsini: a tribute to men’s Couture becomes an opportunity to look to the future, aware of a glorious tradition.
The style is sleek and timeless. Inovation is inspired by the past, and authenticity is a value. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli compose the pieces of an iconographic sartorial collection that. establishes contemporary masculinity without confining it within a formula.
The rigorous aesthetic comes from the technique: from cuts, construction, and a savoir faire that is constantly updated. It focuses on details and particular aspects that may not be seen a first glance. Subtleness is the salient trait of the Valentino man and his understand, unconscious elegance.
A modernist mood – in pursuit of clarity and simplicity – permeates the Fall/Winter 2012-13 collection. The silhouette is sharp. The process of concise editing is translated into a modular wardrobe: archetypal garments that are in the eyes and DNA of men, from the suit to the loden coat, are restyled by rebelliously toying with the rules of apparent normalcy. The loud-mouthed culture is replaced by whispers: true luxury today is talking the people who chosen to listen.
Architectural shapes, with affirmative aplomb, are achieved through subtraction weight and anything unnecessary are eliminated. Couture and sportswear techniques are combined to create a news stylistic languages that is sartorial and dynamic. The construction are combined to create a news stylistic language that is the sartorial and dynamic. The construction can be seen underneath the fabric: The compact line of jackets is obtained through fabric bonded the horsehair facings, not to the lining. Heat-bonded tape replaces seams on shirts. Slim-fit darted trousers have a razor pleat and are ankle-lenght. Outerwear has a sleek, pure line: fitted peacoats have a small shoulders and the carcoat has more volume at the back. The color of cashmere sweaters with a jersey base underlines the sum of the parts and creates impalpable volumes. Back collars and details on the deep blue tuxedo create unusual embellishments that quickly bring to mind the hedonistic nightlife of Rome in the sixties.
A subtle sense of surprise runs through the collection with two-tones ties, constructivist prints, and unusual combinations.
Materials are precious and compact felt, wool/silk barathea, wool and nylon blends, dry cotton, Japanese denim, and leather. The color palette suggest urban camouflage: masculine gray nuances – from stone gray to metal – and virile shades of blue are interrupted by offbeat splashes of red-black, forest green and beige.
The search for soft precision continues in accessories: leather clutches and totes, sleek Oxford shoes, and enameled metal sunglasses.
The collection’s visione of precise style express subtly subversive elegance that is sophisticated yet free of frills and with a sartorial couture approach, because refreshingly light simplicity is always invisible to the eye but clearly makes the difference.
Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Announce Launch of Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum. An unprecedented digital fashion experience showcase five decades of fashion history.
Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti announce the launch of the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum. Mr. Garavani is the first international fashion designer to curate a permanent exhibition of his work in a digital form.
The virtual museum is a downloadable desktop application connected to an online database that uses a real time 3D technology to create an immersive environment. Content is arranged in a museum layout where users explore the different galleries and wings covering what would be over 10,000 square meters in an actual museum. Over 300 dresses from the Valentino Garavani archive were captured for the museum and are organized by theme. Also, content such as sketches, illustrations, advertising campaigns, editorials and red carpet as well as event photos provide a story to go with each dress. Special events and exhibitions from the pair’s history are celebrated with photos and video – from the 1968 White Collection to the 2011 White Fairy Tale Love Ball. In addition, the application features a media library which catalogues the over 5000 images including dresses, photos, drawings and 95 fashion show videos.
As of today, the website valentino-garavani-archives.org is officially live. The site features a short video showing highlights from the museum and allows users to register their email addresses for updates on the launch. A social media campaign including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is also live today previewing assets from the museum leading up to the release of the application. Through these social media platforms, museum users, fans and enthusiasts will be able to comment on and share the content of the museum.
On December 5th, Mr. Garavani and Mr. Giammetti will host a press conference at 11am in NYC to reveal the full contents of the museum application. The press conference will be livestreamed for a global audience on YouTube with the technical support of Google. The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum application will then become immediately downloadable to all users worldwide from the valentino-garavani-archives.org website. The launch will be celebrated on December 7th, with a party at the IAC HQ in New York City.
To download the museum (on or after December 5th) visit: www.valentino-garavani-archives.org
The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum has been realized with the support of Valentino SpA.
