Valentino certainly wasn't always my cup of tea.
Mostly I guess, because it was too much pomp & I lacked the circumstances.
On top of which the tanned-to-perfection Mister Valentino Garavani lacked the subtleness I prefer in my clothes. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, who took over in 2008, brought with them a more sober grace & ladylike elegance. I have been a bit obsessed with the brand ever since.
As such I made my way to the Valentino store at Michaelerplatz, which is housed in a building designed by Adolf Loos. (It seems a second one is to open soon!) The store is relatively small, but quite cozy & the ladies working there are absolute dolls.
I noticed the dress immediately but was informed that they had lent my size to a magazine for a photoshoot & I would have to come back. I did, tried it, loved it & bought it. I was mostly drawn to the intricate design - the lace flowers that almost look more like Rorschach blots - and the morning-light colors of rosé and cream disturbed by the dark. And thanks to a nice & small summer get-together I even already got the chance to wear it out.
"I think I have succeeded through all these decades because I was always concerned with making beautiful clothes. Forget about fashion—the grunge look, the messy look. I cannot see women destroyed, uncombed, or strange. I want to make a girl who arrives someplace and makes people turn and say”—he gasps—“‘You look sensational!’” (x)
