The Cool House: Valentino, the movie

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Valentino, the movie

photo Acolyte Films
Part Sun King, part Roman Emperor, Valentino Garavini was the titular head of his company for forty-five years.  While relying on others to take care of the commercial side of the business, he built a billion dollar enterprise and designed gowns worn by the rich and famous throughout the world, blurring the edges between art and fashion.

Valentino: The Last Emperor is a riveting look at the Italian fashion designer's last year at the eponymous couture house that culminated in Rome in July 2007 with the magnificent Red Party - a retrospective of the his career at Ara Pacis Museum, a ball at the Villa Borghese and dinner for 900 of his closest friends at the Temple of Venus.
Matt Tyrnauer and his film crew had unlimited access to Valentino at a time of crisis when investment funds were taking over the business and rumours of Valentino's iminent retirement were rife. The documentary is a compelling and affectionate portrait of the last true couturier and fashion icon:


Valentino was incapable of designing an ugly dress

He had an entourage and staff of beautiful people, without whom he would probably have stayed in his room all day sketching


photo Acolyte Films
He has a posse of the best trained pugs in the world (pugs know to get off the red carpet when nature calls)

photo Acolyte Films
His seamstresses, who hand sew every garment, are more detail oriented and stressed out than the designer himself

photo Acolyte Films
His almost fifty year business and personal partnership with Giancarlo Giammetti is one of the great love stories. Almost never apart, they bicker constantly, yet love and respect each other completely.


 Valentino made dresses that I covet; possibly this one most of all.

6 comments:

vicki archer said...

I would love to watch this and that has to be one of the best dresses ever, xv.

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LenoreNeverM♡re said...

Fabulousss, I finally watched it. We have something in common- 5 pugs! But I don't have the villas & private plane/yacht! ~hahaha* Valentino is a power house of talents!

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

I am DYING to see this movie. I hope the documentary comes out on DVD soon.

Charlie said...

That was a great tribute, I cannot wait to watch it! It will be fun to see what that last year leading up to his retirement was like. The Julia dress is my all time favorite dress as well!

modernemama said...

I loved it so much I'd watch it again... and again.
I think Valentino: the retirement is a documentary I'd want to see, too.