Last week I had a bit of a holiday. Best friend Deb was up from Melbourne with her three gorgeous daughters. What better activity than to visit the Valentino Retrospective exhibition at GOMA. We had a ball. Each girl was instructed to choose her favourite frock.
A great exhibition is always supported by a great shopping experience afterwards. Mon Dieu!! The catalogue had sold out! Twice!! Catalogue Schmatalogue. Who needs a catalogue when you can take home the DVD? Valentino the Last Emperor was half the price and worth every cent.
If you enjoyed The September Issue you'll love this too. I always dreamed of being a fashion editor. My mother was a beautiful seamstress and studied dress design at East Sydney Tech - now the National Art School.
The DVD has special features including - The Perfect Life: Around the World with Valentino. It seems odd to have a behind the scenes component in an essentially behind the scenes documentary. Let's call them bonuses....If you didn't get enough...heck, here's some more.
I couldn't get enough. It was just amazing. Valentino can only be described as a phenomenon. You marvel that one individual can generate such a juggernaut. And indeed I think the documentary suggests that while Valentino is extraordinary, there is literally an ARMY of other extraordinary individuals behind him making it happen. From his adoring partner, through to the devoted seamstresses who realise his ambitions, to the worryingly skeletal models and the indefatiguable major domo who keeps the home fires burning.
I always like to know about the people behind the movies, particularly in this instance because to get close to this kind of guy has to have been a Herculanean feat. IMDB was of no use on this occasion. You're best just to go the movie's website. Matt Tyrnauer was the Producer/Director. If you read his bio it all becomes clear....He is Special Correspondent at Vanity Fair (formerly Editor At Large) ...one of my all-time favourite magazines. I might add that August's edition features an article by Matt on Valentino's New York pad.
I could go on but hopefully I've whet your appetite and you can find out more for yourself....who is your favourite designer? What's your favourite documentary? What's your favourite magazine?
(and because I work at AFTRS, I'd better mention that if you would like to study Documentary we are offering a Graduate Certificate in Brisbane for the very first time in 2011....to find out more click here - and I promise I won't mention work again unless it's absolutely relevant!!)
