Valentino: Themes and Variations

The name Valentino has been synonymous with high fashion for almost fifty years. Based in Rome, Valentino is only one of two couture houses recognized by the French government outside of Paris. His exquisite designs are coveted and worn by young Hollywood and high society the world over. On the occasion of his last couture collection, presented in Paris in the spring of 2008, this landmark book celebrates forty-five years of Valentino's remarkable career. Published in association with a prestigious exhibition at the Muse des Arts Decoratifs's famed costume department in Paris, this volume focuses on Valentino's haute couture creations, highlighting the most important and iconic creations of his half-century in fashion through recurring themes in Valentino's work--variations on the ideas of volume, line, and texture as well as motifs such as geometry, pleats, and flowers--through new photography, sketches, fabric samples, and commentary on the dresses by Valentino himself. In addition, unprecedented photography by Fran ois Halard of Valentino's last fittings and backstage of his runway show reveals Valentino's private world for the first time. Valentino On Valentino, a chapter of first-person accounts of the designs of these iconic dresses, along with Valentino's commentary on his fashion, will make this publication unique in the study of Valentino as a cultural and artistic icon.

Author: Pamela Golbin
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Published: 09/09/2008
Pages: 300
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 5.00lbs
Size: 12.24h x 9.68w x 1.36d
ISBN: 9780847831722


Review Citation(s):
Foreword 10/13/2008

About the Author
Pamela Golbin is the Curator in Chief at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile of the Louvre in Paris, where she was the curator of the exhibition Balenciaga Paris in 2006 and the author of the accompanying catalog.