Somerset House will pay tribute to the last emperor of fashion with an exhibition of Valentino Garavani’s haute couture designs in November.

 

Valentino: Master of Couture will star more than 130 creations from the Italian designer’s five-decade career, from Julia Roberts’s black and white Oscar gown to Jackie Onassis’s wedding dress. Dresses worn by Grace Kelly,Gwyneth Paltrow and Sophia Loren will also appear.

‘Each of these designs has a beautiful story,’ Garavani said in a statement. ‘The atelier crafted each so diligently by hand, taking hours, sometimes days to complete. The details are incredibly intricate. Though outside the runway shows and events, the dresses have rarely been seen. To be able to showcase these designs at Somerset House, where they can be seen in great detail by the public, is very unique.’

The exhibition will illuminate Valentino’s design legacy through the couture pieces and examples of the atelier’s handiwork, as well as personal tokens, photographs and invitations contributed by the designer. Curators will transform Somerset House’s Embankment Galleries into a 60-metre catwalk which visitors, not models, will stroll, whilst an 'audience' comprised of mannequins in Valentino Couture pieces looks on.

If the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum project provides any hint of what’s to come, we’re in for a treat. Visit Valentino: Master of Couture at Somerset House from 29 November 2012 to 3 March 2013.

 

By Emily Cronin Posted: Friday 03 August 2012