On the occasion of the year-round national cultural movement, Qatar Creates, Qatar Museums and Maison Valentino will present 'Forever Valentino', a major perspective exhibition that pays homage to its founder Valentino Garavani and its still-unfolding heritage of Haute Couture excellence, at M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha from October 28 to April 1.
'Forever Valentino' is an exploration of the Haute Couture codes of the Maison and a voyage through Rome, Valentino’s home, the place where everything started and where its identity belongs to. The Maison’s largest exhibition to date and its first presentation in the Middle East, coincides with Valentino Garavani’s 90th birthday and the unveiling of the Valentino Autumn/Winter 2022 Haute Couture collection in Rome.
'Forever Valentino' builds a dream-like image of the city of Rome, guiding viewers in and out of palazzos, squares, and courtyards, while simultaneously allowing exclusive access to the celebrated Valentino Ateliers, the storied archives of the Maison, and the fitting salons in the fabled headquarters of Piazza Mignanelli.
The exhibition depicts an instant city constructed as a collage of environments and experiences in which Valentino’s creations are displayed in dialogue with many of the sources of inspiration that have stirred up the creativity of both the founder Valentino Garavani and his successor Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Through the juxtapositions of different atmospheres and narratives, the exhibition composes an emotional dramaturgy inspired by the capriccio, an 18th century art form that combined disparate views of cities and architectures, re-imagining them as fantastical landscapes of the mind. Conceived by geniuses of the Baroque such as Giovanni Antonio Canaletto and Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the art of the capriccio turned marvellous Italian vistas into enchanted mirages, creating many of the icons and myths, which still inform the perception of Italy both locally and internationally.
Featuring more than 200 Valentino Haute Couture pieces and pret-à-porter outfits—presented on mannequins by La Rosa – accompanied by accessories and fashion objects displayed in an immersive scenography, “Forever Valentino” weaves a richly textured image of the city of Rome inlaid with private memories and precious discoveries from the Maison’s six decades-long history, including rarely seen ensembles designed for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy and, more recently, Zendaya, along with other examples of Valentino’s legendary cult of excellence.
The exhibition will include ensembles from the private collection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a long-standing client of Valentino. Few brands have established a profound connection to its locale as Valentino built with Rome, where Valentino Garavani had founded his Maison in 1959, at the height of the Dolce Vita, inaugurating his headquarters in the heart of the city’s historic centre.
In the work of Valentino Garavani’s successor, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Rome appears less as an exclusive emblem of opulence and more as a vibrant, multicultural metropolis—a polyphonic crucible of communities and voices that translate into a complex fabric of both grand spectacles and personal intimacies.
'Forever Valentino' is curated by Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the New Museum New York, and fashion critic and author Alexander Fury, working closely with Valentino creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Valentino Garavani in his first Roman atelier, Via dei condotti 11, Roma 1959 (courtesy of Valentino).
'Forever Valentino' is an exploration of the Haute Couture codes of the Maison and a voyage through Rome, Valentino’s home, the place where everything started and where its identity belongs to. The Maison’s largest exhibition to date and its first presentation in the Middle East, coincides with Valentino Garavani’s 90th birthday and the unveiling of the Valentino Autumn/Winter 2022 Haute Couture collection in Rome.
'Forever Valentino' builds a dream-like image of the city of Rome, guiding viewers in and out of palazzos, squares, and courtyards, while simultaneously allowing exclusive access to the celebrated Valentino Ateliers, the storied archives of the Maison, and the fitting salons in the fabled headquarters of Piazza Mignanelli.
The seamstresses at work in the workshop in Palazzo Mignanelli, Rome, 1987. PICTURE Claudio Santini.
The exhibition depicts an instant city constructed as a collage of environments and experiences in which Valentino’s creations are displayed in dialogue with many of the sources of inspiration that have stirred up the creativity of both the founder Valentino Garavani and his successor Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Through the juxtapositions of different atmospheres and narratives, the exhibition composes an emotional dramaturgy inspired by the capriccio, an 18th century art form that combined disparate views of cities and architectures, re-imagining them as fantastical landscapes of the mind. Conceived by geniuses of the Baroque such as Giovanni Antonio Canaletto and Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the art of the capriccio turned marvellous Italian vistas into enchanted mirages, creating many of the icons and myths, which still inform the perception of Italy both locally and internationally.
Valentino Ateliers in Piazza Mignanelli (courtesy of Valentino)
Featuring more than 200 Valentino Haute Couture pieces and pret-à-porter outfits—presented on mannequins by La Rosa – accompanied by accessories and fashion objects displayed in an immersive scenography, “Forever Valentino” weaves a richly textured image of the city of Rome inlaid with private memories and precious discoveries from the Maison’s six decades-long history, including rarely seen ensembles designed for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy and, more recently, Zendaya, along with other examples of Valentino’s legendary cult of excellence.
The exhibition will include ensembles from the private collection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a long-standing client of Valentino. Few brands have established a profound connection to its locale as Valentino built with Rome, where Valentino Garavani had founded his Maison in 1959, at the height of the Dolce Vita, inaugurating his headquarters in the heart of the city’s historic centre.
In the work of Valentino Garavani’s successor, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Rome appears less as an exclusive emblem of opulence and more as a vibrant, multicultural metropolis—a polyphonic crucible of communities and voices that translate into a complex fabric of both grand spectacles and personal intimacies.
'Forever Valentino' is curated by Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the New Museum New York, and fashion critic and author Alexander Fury, working closely with Valentino creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli.
