For the last 45 years, Valentino has been a giant of the international fashion world and this, his last ever collection, showed exactly why. On the catwalk in Abu Dhabi last night, the Fashion Maestro of Rome brought all the glamour and romance that his name has become synonymous with to a glittering fashion pavilion by the shores of the Arabian Gulf.
Gowns that have graced princesses, film stars, chanteurs and the world's most beautiful women - at their most beautiful moments - were paraded through the velveteen Arabian night before an international and regional audience of VIPs, fashion industry experts, buyers and guests. The response was rapturous, awed silence and loud applause greeted the fabulous flowing beauty of the collection.
Valentino, perhaps more than any other designer, seems to intuitively understand how to bring beauty, glamour, and romance to the women he dresses. His gowns are prized above all else by those who wear them, and leave a lasting impression on those that see them. If a wardrobe contained words, then Valentino is a poet.
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garanvani arrived in Rome, the City of Emperors and Popes, at the height of the city's most glorious era in the modern age. In his early days, at a grand maison de couture at Via Condotti, 11, he was fashion's new super nova, drawing inspiration from the gods and goddesses of the beau monde - not to mention the soundstages of Hollywood and Cinecittą - who strolled the Via Veneto, and made Rome and Capri their backdrop in the time of La Dolce Vita.
Some of this glamour and romance was visited in Abu Dhabi, with a taste of the vintage long prepared by the Roman Maestro. An awesome show by this great designer; the same show that brought the fashion world flocking to Rome for a 36-hour extravaganza in July also brought the Launch Event of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week to a marvellous close.
Valentino's last collection, and the assured poise of a master of his art, also provided a fitting counter-point to the young emerging Arabian designers shown during the first night of the Launch Event. This event has truly provided an insight into the past, present and future of the fashion world, especially in Abu Dhabi and the region.
The exclusive 'Red Party' that followed the show was a stirring tribute to this great designer and a fitting end to the Launch Event of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week.
This was just the 'Launch Event,' for the real thing, the inaugural Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, will only take place between 17 to 21 March 2008.
Alice Teeuwen, the creative force behind the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, said 'This was just the beginning, from here there is a long road to travel, but with the wonderful support of Abu Dhabi and of our sponsors it was a great beginning! Without ALDAR Properties, Gulf Horizon, P&G Beauty, and Emirates Palace, we would have never realized this dream.'
The bar has been set very high by the events of the past two nights.
Valentino provides a fitting finale to the launch event of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week
The launch event of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week came to its climax with the glorious Haute Couture Collection of Valentino.
- United Arab Emirates: Monday, November 19 - 2007 at 12:13
- PRESS RELEASE
Notes and media contacts
For Interviews or Further Information Contact: Mr. Ayman AlSalehAbout:
Abu Dhabi Fashion Week
Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, scheduled from March 17th till March 21st, 2008 has been created by Maven Corporate Ltd as part of the initiatives underway to develop in the United Arab Emirates a new centre for the fashion industry in the region. In this process, Maven has formed an alliance with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (the organizers of Milan Fashion Week) to develop the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week into a glamorous, business driven international event.
In a unique step for the region, the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week will form part of the international fashion calendar alongside the fashion weeks in New York, London, Milano and Paris. The Abu Dhabi Fashion Week will be launched in Abu Dhabi at the Emirates Palace Hotel from the 16-17th of November, 2007.
About:
Maven Corporate Ltd
Maven is an international company with offices in the UAE, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Brussels. Maven is a services company specializing in the fashion, apparel, textiles industry. The Company's services focus on design, branding, marketing, retailing, sourcing and investment.
Maven works extensively with international and regional brands and retailers to assist them in expanding their operations into new markets and in creating the new structures, alliances and processes which allow them to do this in an optimal fashion. Maven maintains a global network of partners, clients and investors from North America, the EU and Asia, whilst focusing the bulk of its work on the Middle East & North Africa, South Asia and East Asia (SAMENA).
About:
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (the National Chamber for Italian Fashion) is the not-for-profit Association which disciplines, co-ordinates and promotes the development of Italian Fashion.
The Association represents all the highest cultural values of Italian Fashion. It aims to protect, co-ordinate and strengthen its image, both in Italy and abroad. In accordance with the statutory provisions, the Association is the point of reference, as well as the preferential mouthpiece, for all the national and international initiatives aimed at valuing and promoting Italian style, customs and Fashion.
Right from the year of its foundation, in 1958, the Association has pursued a policy of organizational support aimed at the knowledge, promotion and development of Fashion through events with a highly intellectual image in Italy and abroad. Recent agreements over international calendars, which have led to the signing of the Italian-French agreement, have given Milan and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana the role of undisputed protagonist on the international fashion scene, thus also contributing to the consolidation of alliances with London and New York.
About:
ALDAR Properties PJSC
ALDAR Properties PJSC is a premier property development, investment and management company and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It is trusted with the responsibility of creating multi-billion dirham civic projects to develop the capital, and is expanding internationally. Since launching in 2005, the company has announced projects worth more than $US 60 billion, in a property development portfolio diverse in scope and style, attracting considerable worldwide interest and inward investment.. ALDAR owns a stockpile of over 30 million square metres of land at strategic locations throughout Abu Dhabi Emirate.
About:
P&G Beauty
P&G Beauty products help make beauty dreams real and grooming enjoyable everyday for millions of women and men worldwide. With more than 100 brands available in nearly 130 countries, P&G Beauty delivered sales of more than $21 billion in fiscal year 2005/06, making it a leading global beauty company. P&G Beauty offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs: Pantene®, Olay®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, Sassoon Professional®, Wellaflex®, Sebastian Professional®, Herbal Essences®, Koleston®, Clairol Professional®, Nice 'n Easy®, Venus®, Gillette®, SK-II®, Wella Professionals®, and the luxury or prestige fragrance licenses for Dolce & Gabbana®, Valentino® , Hugo®, and Gucci®. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G Beauty and its brands.
About:
Emirates Palace Hotel
Built as an iconic landmark showcasing Arabian culture and hospitality at its finest, Emirates Palace has created an enviable niche in the luxury resort industry, welcoming holiday makers from all over the world and giving them a truly memorable leisure experience by providing luxurious facilities and amenities in comfortable surroundings and superior and personalized service.
Situated on a 1.3 km stretch of private beach and surrounded by hectares of manicured lawns, Emirates Palace comprises 394 luxury rooms and suites and a variety of fine dining options. The resort's leisure facilities include two intricately landscaped swimming pools, a spa, tennis courts, and two state of the art fitness centres. Emirates Palace houses the most luxurious and technologically advanced meeting facilities in the region which include an auditorium with 1,100 seats, a main ballroom that can accommodate up to 2500 guests, over 40 meeting rooms, a Media Centre and a Business Centre.
Emirates Palace, since its inception, has quickly established an enviable reputation in the industry, winning many prestigious industry awards including -- Best Conference/Convention Center, Best 5-Star Leisure Hotel, Best 5-Star Business/Corporate Hotel - at the MENA Travel Awards 2007, considered the most prestigious and highly coveted industry recognition programme in the region.
About:
Gulf Horizon
Gulf Horizon Group is 100% owned by local family, chaired by H.E. Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al Badi and managed by the group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yasser H. Al Rawashdeh.
In a network dominated era, Gulf Horizon Group is in partnership with world-wide state of the art companies around the globe and are focused on developing projects locally and internationally for all types of upgrades in infrastructure. We use our expertise in financing of projects and business developments to organize the right team for each project to ensure total success and complete client satisfaction. The Gulf Horizon Group performs the role of Business Developer, Project Coordinator, and Financer, and selects premier strategic partner to work hand in hand with the group to perform functions of engineering, design, construction, quality control and operations.
While emphasizing the partnership spirit, Gulf Horizon Group and Partners are currently composed of 28 companies and partners from countries that are in line with finance, real estate development, education industry and insurance and partnered to countries like Korea, Germany, France, Italy, United States, England, Finland and Malaysia, and are very much involved in sharing the development of Abu Dhabi Emirates projects. With our partners, we aim to contribute to the development and prosperity of business, society and culture of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi with strategy and plans that are complimenting the vision, projections and plans of Abu Dhabi Government on long term plans for small and large scale projects.
About:
Abu Dhabi, UAE
At the southern edge of the Arabian gulf, Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and largest of the seven Emirates is a progressive modern Arabian city of 1.7 million citizens set on a peninsular, its sandy coastline dotted with over 200 islands. With 9% of known oil and 5% of world gas reserves, Abu Dhabi is quickly becoming one of the world's richest cities, diversifying its economy and dynamically expanding, with over $140 billion of investment over the next 5 years. People from far-flung corners of the world are settling to live and work, enjoying first-class shopping, elegant hotels and a unique culture in Abu Dhabi.
Placed between Europe and Asia, Abu Dhabi benefits from a cosmopolitan outlook in a politically stable country with a liberal economy. Arabic is the official language and English is widely spoken. A unique mix of culture and arts flourishes in Abu Dhabi. It is the new Middle-East location for the world-renowned Guggenheim and Louvre museums, along with a new performing arts centre, maritime museum and national museum. Diverse sports & leisure pursuits are part of the active lifestyle residents can enjoy and the most recently announced 2009 Formula 1™ Abu Dhabi Prix, Ferrari Theme Park and Warner Brothers Theme Park all situated on Yas Island, a 2,500 hectare Island being developed by ALDAR, which all create a synergy to Abu Dhabi also becoming increasingly popular as an exclusive tourist destination.
Lara Lynn Golden, News EditorMonday, November 19 - 2007 at 12:13 UAE local time (GMT+4)
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This Article was updated on Wednesday, March 12 - 2008
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