Gallery: red carpet glamour at the Valentino premiere party

The fashion legend that is Valentino Garavani can definitely pull in a crowd. The Venice Film Festival after party for the premiere of the new film 'Valentino: The Last Emperor' pulled in a host of A-list names including Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Hurley, Claire Danes and Diane Kruger. They all looked fabulous (mainly in Valentino, natch) and we've got the pics!

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[all images: Rex Features]

Valentino joins the '90s image trend for his final ad campaign

Recently we've been noticing a trend with ad campaigns and magazine covers, they're all channeling the early '90s! It started with Vogue US and their Kate Hudson February cover, the Cruz sisters for Mango and now Valentino.

For his final ad campaign before retirement he has gone with a '90s look ad campaign which bizarrely does not reveal the faces of the models. It's possible that he is trying to comment on the nature of celebrity by refusing the reveal the identity of his model choices which are '90s duo Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow. See after the jump for more images...


Raquel Zimmermann, Anja Rubik, Michael Gandolfi and Oriol Elcacho also star in the campaign that was styled by Harper's Bazaar editor-at-large Brana Wolf. It was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin at a private home in Los Angeles because of Valentino's long-standing connection with the area.

"I think one of the key pieces that we were striving for with this campaign was to make the Valentino woman feel more grounded, still stylized but not totally untouchable," said Raul Martinez chief executive officer and executive creative director at AR. "You still feel the glamour that is the Valentino brand, but it's done in a more contemporary way."

[Source:WWD]

Paris Fashion Week: Valentino's final bow

In true Valentino style, that of a gentleman, the legendary Italian designer took his final bow at his last ready-to-wear show in Paris yesterday.

Valentino announced his retirement as head designer early last month, not long after celebrating his 45th anniversary with the fashion house.

Circled by a bevy of models, Valentino waved to the crowd amongst a sea of bows, ruffles, polka dots, floaty chiffon and skirt suits.
Keep reading for plenty more pics from the show...


Frocks, frocks and more frocks - doing what Valentino does best - appeared along the runway in all manners of colours, prints, fabrics and fabulous features. A wave of candy pink dresses opened the show, moving quickly onto yellow just in case you were feeling sleepy and needed a wake-me-up. Whether it be a shift, Galaxy-style dress, or an '80s bubblegum number there was no mistaking that a bright dress is essential for next spring/summer.


Even still, you can't forget that ever-important monochrome with black and white a prominent feature in polka dots and stripy shoes (very Giles Deacon-esque!) Reminiscent of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Valentino's polka dots were strapped with gigantic bows. He also incorporated some pretty serious volume tailoring with Jackie O style skirt suits.


Red carpet gowns, a particular favourite among the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren, were echoed on the catwalk in floor sweeping elegance. My eye was especially drawn to a gorgeous fire red strapless gown with a giant fishtail (above, middle). A stunning way to end an illustrious prêt-à-porter career!

[Images: Catwalking.com via Getty]

Valentino, still winning hearts at 75

THEY are two of the world's most beautiful women but Elle Macpherson and Uma Thurman were almost eclipsed by the gowns at the unveiling of legendary designer Valentino's latest collection in Rome.

The Italian designer snubbed the autumn/winter haute couture season in Paris last week to hold his own event at Rome's Temple of Venus.

International followers of fashion were happy to join him in celebrating his 45th year as a designer in the city where he got his start in the industry.

Macpherson and Thurman attended the event along with former model Claudia Schiffer, actress Elizabeth Hurley and her husband Arun Nayar, Vogue's Anna Wintour, The Devil Wears Prada star Anne Hathaway, actor Eva Mendes and soap siren Joan Collins.

While the fashion industry expected the 75-year-old designer to announce his retirement at the event, he managed to keep them all guessing about his plans for the future.

It's now anticipated that Valentino will continue creating gowns until the 50th anniversary of his entry into the fashion world comes around in 2012.Source: The Sun-Herald

'Valentino In Rome, 45 Years of Style'

The tribute to Valentino is believed to be the most sought-after ticket of the year. Trolling the red carpet were several hotties, but the standouts were Anne Hathaway, Uma Thurman, SJP, and Claire Danes.

Fashion, like Hollywood is a very fickle world. A person can become an overnight success and then fade into oblivion without a thought. Only a handful of designers ever make it into the history books, the ones who become legends in their own time. Valentino is one such designer.

The perennially tan gentleman whose style is delineated by clean lines, minimal detail, and elegant forms has taken these elements and built himself an empire, becoming a global icon in the process. It is these qualities of his that enabled him to dress women such as Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock and the late Princess Diana. He has designed the wedding gowns of two Onassis women: Jacqueline Kennedy for her marriage to Aristotle Onassis and Athina Onassis. Although it’s women’s couture for which he is most known, his fashion house also includes a ready-to-wear line, mens line, accessories and fragrances.

The tribute to Valentino’s almost half a century in the business is believed to be the most sought-after ticket of the year. The guest list is a who’s who of modern-day royalty, Hollywood glitterati and European designers, all of whom arrived to pay homage to one of Italy’s national treasures. Guests included Claudia Schiffer, Natasha Richardson, Elle MacPherson, Karl Lagerfeld, Elizabeth Hurley, Manolo Blahnik, Princess Caroline and Prince Ernst, Mario Testino and David Furnish. Trolling the red carpet were several hot stars, but the standouts were Anne Hathaway, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Claire Danes.

All Grown Up
Actress Anne Hathaway made her film debut in The Princess Diaries, playing a girl named Mia who learns she’s a princess by birth and finds her life turned upside down by this discovery. And while most young girls would find it hard to do, Hathaway gives it her all without coming off as OTT. Not an easy thing to do on film, much less the red carpet where the paps’ lenses are all on you. Her next film, The Devil Wears Prada, where she plays assistant to editor Meryl Streep, captured more of ingénue Anne’s simplicity, and that’s what we like about her- flawless skin and looks, but a head uninflated by Hollywood! No wonder she was one of 2006’s 50 Most Beautiful.

For the Valentino tribute, Anne goes for a time-honored fave with another black design. But at least she knows what works, and is one of the few young stars not to flaunt a thigh-high hemline or a recurring alcohol habit. Indeed, her inner and outer style can’t be beat. Back to the outfit, the short black-and-gold dress, gold clutch and ribbon-tie sandals give her an elegance above the rest. The styled hair and luminous glow all give her an ethereal quality that not many have in Tinseltown. Something to be said about not overstressing your liver! Lady Anne lights up the carpet, not with a flashy dress sense, but just good taste and great set of gams. Simply gorgeous.

Smoking Hot
Uma Thurman shares her name with a Hindu goddess, so we guess it’s only fair that she looks like one. The thirtysomething star of Dangerous Liaisons, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill has something of an exotic childhood. The daughter of a former model and a Buddhist scholar, she divided her time between India and the US and calls the Dalai Lama a family friend. Talented Uma then became a model herself and stormed Hollywood in one film after another. A current pitchwoman for Louis Vuitton, Uma married and divorced actors Gary Oldman and Ethan Hawke before a relationship with hotelier Andre Balazs, which ended just recently.

In this sleeveless high-necked gown with matching strappy sandals and slit on the side, Uma pulls out all the stops. What we love most, is how well the dress drapes to the side, giving her just enough definition but not so much that we forget who’s wearing it. When you’re a mother of two and still radiant on the red carpet, you must be doing something right! Not to be stopped by her past cinematic glory, she in the running for a Bollywood film with one of their brightest leading men. Well played, Uma.

Costume Drama
Sarah Jessica Parker can basically write her own ticket in the film industry. All because of a star turn as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Watching Sarah in her Manolos week after week, we idolized her. Not just her character’s attitude, her dress sense, but the whole package. With a fragrance, her own clothing line, and Emmys as actress and producer under her belt, SJP can do no wrong. The fashionista seems to move from strength to strength. Star Sarah previously dated JFK Jr. (who was known for his love of leggy blondes), Robert Downey Jr., before marrying Matthew Broderick. She likes to split her time between homes in New York and Ireland, not a bad life we must say.

While our take on her career is positive, we’re not so sure about her outfit. It’s arguably the most unusual look in the entire tribute no doubt. But we guess that is typical Ms. Sarah, someone following her own heart. The short gold dress with long puffy sleeves and high neckline, make us recall a previous movie with Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare In Love where the young blonde sported a costume not unlike what the Parkster is wearing here. All she needs is some frills around the neck and an out-to-there crinoline and she could play an extra in the next period film. But then again, it is a homage to Mr. Valentino, who loves grandeur so why not?


Magnificent
And now, the best for last. Claire Danes refreshed us with this stunningly classic look, a sleeveless white-on-white polka dot dress with tied black bow and T-strap heels. Not only does the dress shine on her, but she wisely pairs it with natural makeup. Who says summer frocks have to be revealing? All this outfit says is “hot!”

The former Golden Globe winner starred in tv’s “My So-Called Life” before moving to the big time with flicks The Hours and Terminator 3 and The Mod Squad. Danes in one of the few young stars who can drift between comedy and drama, making her a rare commodity in H-wood. Her affairs with actors Billy Crudup and Matt Damon behind her, Danes is now with Hugh Dancy, her costar in Evening, according to a recent showing on Letterman. The actress seems to prefer boyish-looking men, but she could do a lot worse than Dancy, whom she attended the tribute with.

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Valentino Celebrates 45 Years In Fashion

Fashion guru Valentino put 45 years of experience on display in an exhibition that marked the fashion house’s anniversary. The 36-hour extravaganza began Friday with an exhibition opening at Ara Pacis Museum followed by a dinner at the Temple of Venus, then Saturday's presentation of Valentino's couture collection and a black-tie ball on the grounds of the Villa Borghese. Wow, Italians definitely know how to celebrate in style!

Celebs like Jennifer Hudson, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tom Ford, and Elle Macpherson, among others, all flew in to catch Valentino’s Fall couture collection. From the long sequenced black gowns to embroidery and fur with ruffled trims, don’t be surprised if you see all the stars sporting Valentino at this year’s Oscars. It’s that good!

The feathers and ruffles were such a big hit that actresses Sienna Miller and Elizabeth Hurley wore their version to the ball. Designer Tory Burch also opted for a ruffled Valentino gown, which she sported with her latest accessory Lance Armstrong. The two walked into the bash hand in hand so it looks like those hookup rumors were true after all.

Another big trend from Valentino was black and white, which Anne Hathaway and Claire Danes proudly sported. He may be celebrating 45 years in the bizz, but it looks like Valentino isn’t planning on retiring anytime soon.