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Yesterday I was fortunate to be invited to a private viewing the Valentino exhibition to marvel and swoon over 130 of his greatest pieces spanning his 50 year career in Haute Couture.  Many of these exquisite pieces have never before been seen outside the Valentino Atelier.

As soon as I arrived I got absolutely lost in the intricate, expertly crafted detail of every exquisite piece.  I was constantly referring back to the catalogue to read about each piece and match it back to the famous celebrity or socialite it was created for – like the iconic white dress that Jackie became “Jackie Onassis” in.  I left the gallery hours later.

The one thing that was overwhelming and inspiring to a designer, such as myself, was that Valentino never followed trends, his designs transcend eras and trends and his couture pieces from the 1950′s are as relevant and wearable now as they were then.  Every piece is utterly breath-takingly beautiful, feminine and timeless.

So much to take in in just one visit- I will be back.

Click here to read more on this amazing show

The 60 metre runway with mannequins resembling Valentino’s elite clientele, such as Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly and Julia Roberts to name but a few.

The Valentino wedding dress worn by Marie – Chantall Miller when she married Prince Pavlos of Greece.  This dress took 25 seamstresses to make and used 12 kinds of laces and had a four and a half metre train.

The last display of the exhibition showed up-close details of Valentino’s signature treatments (such as the rose above) painstakingly created by hand by “The Girls” of the Atelier.