Red, Valentino, the last master of Haute Couture

Valentino, the last master of Haute Couture!!




Valentino is a master of elegance and opulence. The Italian designer made his mark creating luxurious gowns with intricate detailing and tastefully body-conscious silhouettes.

The fabrics tend to be both delicate and rich—laces, chiffons, and silk crepe, along with wool, leather, and suede

Valentino has long been popular among European royalty, American socialites, and celebrities.

While his new creations get a great deal of attention—and requests, especially around red-carpet time—many also collect his vintage dresses.

45 years of style at the museum of Ara Pacis (Rome), July 6th October 28th 2007

Here are some pics from the booklet of the exhibit of Valentino's body of work in Rome. The Ara Pacis Museum(whose name means "Altar of Peace" is definitely the most fitting place in which to stage such an exhibit.

Black tulle dress. Underdress embroidered in floral motif with black and silver sequins, fully overlaid with black silk tulle featuring embroidered branches in black jet and bouillonne flowers in black silk and black jet pistils. Two folds on the left lend added movement. The low back is secure with a jeweled pin. *

Evening gown design as a tribute to the Commedia dell'Arte: Burlesque line, sweetheart neckline, draped basket weave bodice in chiffon in shades of purple, sea green, turquoise and yellow; textured crinoline skirt in the same colors as the bodice with giant diamonds marked out with inlaid black tulle. *







*Pics and text from "Valentino a Roma" (45 years of style at the Museum of Ara Pacis..)



Pics taken at the "Ara Pacis" exhibition;

On rare occasions we get the opportunity to see some of the "couture magic" being made. Here are some pics from Valentino's atelier where seamstress are working on some peaces for the couture collection.

On this pic you could see the details and construction of a jacket from Spring 2008 Couture Collection.

Seamstresses working on evening gowns (Spring 2008 Couture)

When Valentino retired the world lost the last master of haute couture!!

Au revoir maître de conception de mode !!!

New beginning

Finally after time contemplating creating a Blog, here I am.

I will be posting some of my work some time soon.
Till then I’d share with you some of my favorites Couturiers.

Even thought most admire Chanel and Dior [is not that I don’t like then, I do but…] from the old couture houses my favorite are;



Balenciaga



This Basque Designer opened his first atelier and boutique when just twenty years old in San Sebastian, Spain and was acclaimed leading Spanish designer in the early 30’s




Under the label EISA, the Spanish royal family and the aristocracy wore his designs

The Spanish civil war forced him to close his stores [Madrid and Barcelona] and moved to Paris in 1937 to start up anew.

Balenciaga opened his couture house in Paris in 1937. His early shows featured heavily designs influenced by the Spanish Renaissance.

He enjoyed success from the beginning, however not until the post-world war II years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly original designer became evident. His lines became more linear and sleek, diverging from the hourglass shape popularized by “The New Look”.

The unmistakable style [increasingly pure and abstract form] is still a source of inspiration for many modern designers.
I think of Balenciaga as the Grand-father of the MOD. Most, if not all the designers that helped create the MOD fashion, worked at one time or another at the House of Balenciaga in Paris; [Andre’ Courreges;{apprentice 1950},Givenchy (protégé 1957), Emanuel Ungaro (cutter 1960).

Jean Desses















Desses was born in Alexandria Egypt in 1914. He opened his Paris couture salon in 1937. Influenced by his travels created draped evening gowns in chiffon, embroidery dresses and sheath dresses




His fashion was very popular with European royalty and movie stars. In 1962, he designed the wedding gown worn by Princess Sophia of Greece (Now Queen Sofia of Spain) for her marriage to King Juan Carlos of Spain

















Guy Laroche and Valentino were Desse’s assistants in 1950.

His vintage gowns could be seen once again the red carpets, bringing re-new recognition to this master of drapery and rushing.