Fashion Blogs

by: Kirsten Lea

It is a frosty Sunday morning in New York City. Fashion Week has already begun with a spectacular birthday party for Sex & The City stylist Patricia Field at the old bank vault, The Bowery. Today’s shows include the Calvin Klein’s Men’s collections and one of my favorite American designers, Diane Von Furstenberg.

Tomorrow’s schedule is full with Carolina Herrera, Donna Karen and a private show by Marc Jacobs at the Armory, as well as his exclusive after-party. However, tomorrow is also Valentine’s Day and I will be quietly celebrating in between shows, by visiting the top of the Empire State building to watch any romantic declarations of love that may occur around sunset.

Now, whilst I am aware that St. Valentine’s Day traditionally honors the martyrdom of an early Christian saint, I prefer to dedicate my love, passion and loyalty to a master of couture, worthy of sainthood, Valentino. For it was in 1959, that the Italian style deity made himself known for his exquisite use of a particular shade of red, a color that is recognized throughout the industry as Valentino red. Therefore, it seems perfectly fitting to show my respect for this designer, on a day that is characterized by both his signature color and his namesake.

After his retirement in 2007, Alessandra Facchinetti took over as Creative Director, but was asked to step down from the position after only two seasons, as it seemed she did not share the same vision as Valentino. The company replaced her with Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli who together, have presented wonderful collections that draw inspiration from Valentino’s archive of work, whilst still being relevant to today’s consumers.

While the color palate of the 2011 spring collection is mostly understated, there is a good selection of signature pieces, perfect for Valentines Day. This will be the second year that Valentino has run the rose petal adornment on both their clutch bags and clothing line. Bergdorf Goodman held a Trunk show last Thursday to commemorate the new collection, which has just arrived in stores, and it was here that I purchased the key pieces that I’ll be adorning on Monday.

In between taking in the style at the shows tomorrow, I’ll also be noting anyone on bended knee. Because, for anyone whose Valentines Day is particularly successful, they may want to keep in mind that Valentino has the most stunning selection of Wedding gowns. Wearing Valentino on your wedding day must be the ultimate statement of style and romance.

Written by: Kirsten Lea from Benjamin Kanarek Blog