They Had Style They Had Grace

Elegance is the balance between proportion, emotion, and surprise.

- Valentino

That is Valentino's signature quote, and all of those elements of elegance certainly showed themselves when I went to the Ara Pacis on a very rainy afternoon to see "Valentino a Roma - 45 Years of Style."

It is no secret that I love and adore fashion. I don't worship trends or rules, but I do take great pleasure in looking at beautiful clothing. It is a firm belief in mine that clothes do have the potential to make people feel better about themselves. Judging from the brilliance of the 300 couture ensembles, Valentino believes in the same thing that I do.

The exhibit was shown as I mentioned, at the Ara Pacis. The Ara Pacis is an alter that is among the most significant evidences of art in the age of Augustus. Holding this retrospective here wasn't something that was done with haste, in fact, it was extremely deliberate. The Ara Pacis is a place that is extremely important to Romans because it reminds them of Augustus and the peace and prosperity that he brought. Hence, holding the exhibit here connects Valentino to Rome and Rome to Valentino.

I believe the my jaw was open with awe throughout my entire two hour visit. Each gown was more spectacular than the next. The amount of detail and work that goes into each gown, coat, or top is really quite incredible. Through seeing the handiwork up close, I was able to gain a new respect for the reasons why couture is so coveted (and pricey).

In the basement, underneath the actual Ara Pacis there was a display of Valentino's sketches (starting from the 1960s!), and a breathtaking display of gowns worn by famous actresses, princesses, and other personalities (i.e. Reese Witherspoon, Princess Diana, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez). I have many many pictures that I took of each gown, but probably the most notable for me was a gown that Audrey Hepburn wore! She is absolutely my style icon, so seeing a piece of her clothing up close was just an amazing experience.

I wish that I could tell each of you to go and see this exhibit, but alas, it closes on October 28th. Heck, I would even go back a few more time and just sit on the Ara Pacis and admire each of the gowns for as long as they would allow me. But, because that isn't possible I am just going to have to stare longly at all of the photos that I took, and maybe wish that one day I too will be lucky enough to own something as unique and as beautifully handcrafted as a Valentino original. Actually, on second thought, I just want the sketches - they last longer and paper never goes out of style.