Madame Valentine (Pictures 1 & 3), of the few great American couturiers, dressed some of the biggest stars of the 1930's and 40's, including Paulette Goddard, Katherine Hepburn and Greta Garbo. Yet despite her influence, she has largely been forgotten in the history of fashion. "Valentina: American Couture and the Cult of Celebrity" at the museum of the City of New York is one of the first ever exhibitions of the the designer's work. The exhibition and it's hefty catalogue by Kohle Yohannan reveal a designer with a strikingly modern sensibility...not only in her beautifully minimalist dresses but in the creation of her persona as well.
The first picture captures here in the early 1940's. Valentina believed that one should always look chic...even when gardening or cooking. "What you wear when you are in your own house," she once said, "is like a costume for the role of yourself". She models one of her more practical linen outfits, topped off with an Asian-inspired coolie hat....one of her signatures.
You can see the influence of vintage designs, such as Valentina's in today's designer collections.
*Forbes
No comments:
Post a Comment