Valentino HC S/S 08 Paris

[Faith Akiyama]

Ok, to make up for the lack of finale pictures...HQs!

Getty

 

[KKnardi]

I'm sorry for interrupting the nostalgia and the "old fashion history ending" here, but there is not many things to pick out for a young man like me. this is just old for me.
Arrivederci amore, ciao!

 

[Faith Akiyama]

And a final farewell...



Getty
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[espritDEcouture]

I wish....

 

[capt.charly]

Thanks for the HQ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Miss Dalloway]

HAUTE COUTURE

Valentino says goodbye with flowers

By Suzy Menkes
Published:January 23, 2008.

Paris:With vestal white dresses on the runway and a phalanx of his iconic red dresses projected on the sides of a giant tent, Valentino bowed out of fashion on Wednesday with an ovation of bravos but few tears, as the designer himself set the happy tone by waving to the audience as he took his bow.
But like a chorus in a Greek tragedy, Valentino's friends and clients, who gathered at the Rodin Museum for the couturier's last and final curtain, started their comments with a single phrase: "It's the end of an era," they all said.
"I was 17 years old when I met Valentino in Rome — and, of course, I feel sad," said Marisa Berenson, while the model Eva Herzigova, resplendent in a jewel-embroidered Valentino jacket, remembered the very first dress, in Valentino red, in which she walked the runway.
"It's a special time," said Marie-Chantal of Greece, one of many clients who expressed mixed emotions. Farah Diba, the former empress of Iran, said she was happy Valentino was retiring "at the summit of his glory and his talent." Susan Gutfreund said that she felt "excited and nostalgic."
Comparing this departure from the couture stage with that of Yves Saint Laurent in 2000, Betty Catroux, the YSL muse, said: "It's different. Yves didn't want to retire. But I think Valentino is happy."

Before the show, the designer himself stated his mission: gorgeous and gracious dresses, culminating in the white gowns that referred back to the famous white show in Florence of 1968 that made his reputation.
"All I ever wanted was beauty — to make women beautiful," Valentino, 75, said.
And he said it with flowers: big fat summer roses worn with a garden party of a hat; elegant irises traced on the back of a sheath; clusters of hand- painted wisteria; embroidered flowers that peeped out from pleats; graphic black and white flowers; and the sweet- pea pastels that opened the show.
As the first model walked the shiny herringbone runway, her pink tunic over an embroidered skirt was quintessentially Valentino in its feminine elegance. So were the tailored coats in summer shades of blue, peach and pistachio. Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino's partner for 45 years, sitting between the actresses Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu, sized up the calm daywear, the perfectly groomed models, with elbow-length gloves, crocodile clutch in hand and hair swept into a smooth chignon — even if the flipped- up eyeliner could have been described as Amy Winehouse on a very good day.
Designers front row included Alber Elbaz of Lanvin, Miuccia Prada and Allessandra Facchinetti, who is taking over from Valentino next season.
Looking at the incredibly fine workmanship of Valentino's Rome studio, it was hard to believe that any other designer could still produce such craftsmanship and elegance in the 21st century — especially the evening dresses that appeared so simple but were, in fact, made with the skill of half a century of training.
Perhaps Valentino's greatest attribute is to appear timeless, offering the harmony and grace so rare in the cacophony of modern fashion and making this final collection a loving ode to women.
Philip Treacy, whose garden party hats were on the beautifully coiffed heads, summed up the emotional event.
"It's sad," he said. "Valentino is the king of chic. His fascination is always with elegance and beauty."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/23/style/web-0123-rvalen.php

 

[j´adore dior]

Gorgeous, magnificent, inspiring, I hope Alessandra will look at some of this silhouettes for the coming show, there are some coats that could easily become rtw hits, it was perfect and vibrant, loved it!

 

[softgrey]

i found most of this to be quite boring/safe and uninspired...

even the red dress finale...
ALL THE SAME DRESS?!?!?....


really???....really?...
not 75 different red gowns...???...

come on!...
it's the big FAREWELL...

and some of those flower dresses and hats are just ...
what the hell is that lavendar tulle thing...?!?
...

ugh!...


* there were some good red carpet gowns though...
but- essentially red carpet means 'safe' these days...so...you know..
not what i would have hoped for from him for his swan song...

 

[xPedro]

softgrey, I must say, I totally agree w/ everything you said !

 

[Spike413]

Well, it's very Valentino. Always polished, always poised, always tasteful. I wouldn't have expected anything less from him with this collection. Still I would've liked a surprise in all of the glamour, and I don't really like a lot of the floral pieces.

For me the best pieces are the simplest pieces, the troupe of pastel coats with bracelet cuffs and a-line hems, those two black and white pieces with those twisted pleats showing the opposite color, the white column on Natalia that closed the show.

I guess we know who'll be dressing the Oscars this year.

 

[rebellion]

The dresses are not so bad, but the makeup is quite overdone and not very tasteful. I do like the finale with the red dress, though, I think it looks cool.

 

[2Nova]

WOW!!! jaw dropping as always

 

[knightley]

Unimpressed for his final collection.

I do think everyone in the same red dress was meant as a homage to THE Valentino red gown. It felt like him saying this is my FINAL red dress. The last one and its his, so putting all the girls (including those not in the show??) in it just shows the magic of his final, signature red dress. You know? Only part I really liked.

 

[eternitygoddess]

Looking at the incredibly fine workmanship of Valentino's Rome studio, it was hard to believe that any other designer could still produce such craftsmanship and elegance in the 21st century — especially the evening dresses that appeared so simple but were, in fact, made with the skill of half a century of training.
Perhaps Valentino's greatest attribute is to appear timeless, offering the harmony and grace so rare in the cacophony of modern fashion and making this final collection a loving ode to women.

Those two lines stood out.

How many designer nowadays actually design clothes with the woman in mind instead of trying to push fashion forwards?

The 'new crop' of designers don't seem to consider 'clothes' and 'wearer' in the same context.

 

[eternitygoddess]

The coats, lipstick, and earrings are beauuuuuuutiful.

 

[valentina_rocks]

wowww love the collection!!!!!

 

[agneslo]

Valentino!!! what can i live on if you are not designing any collection from now on?
the finale really speaks out who he is and yes.. a perfect Goodbye to the fashio industry...

 

[ellerina]

absolutely amazing. and the red gowns! what a perfect way to end it all <3

 

[dior_couture1245]

Here's a little video
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155399863/bclid1171892377/bctid1388771349

I LOVE the music! What song is more glamorous than "Lujon?" and I LOVE the cymbal crashed added to it!!!

 

[nyc_art_style]

i love the shoes, and the jakie o type suits.