In March, I was dying to see the documentary on the designer Valentino’s career, Valentino: The Last Emperor. Last night I finally saw it and I watched it again today with my mom. Just incredible.
The most touching moment that got me teary was when one of his seamstresses from 1964(?) came to his monumental 45th anniversary career retrospective and she and Valentino were both brough to tears. I looooved watching the women sew and construct his visions for his final critique. He was such a graceful man, treating the ladies with such reverence, giving due credit to them for their masterpieces. Without them, he would be nothing.
In the Oct 2008 issue of Vogue there was an article about the seamstresses of haute couture, explaining the process of turning a designer’s drawing and idea into a reality… what an integral part they play in high fashion. It was a fascinating read and has stuck with me over the past year (I had a hell of time digging that article up… thought it was W magazine). While my mom and aunt had explained a lot of it to me when I was a child, I really had no idea. These women’s talent, patience and expertise is unrivalled. Every tiny stitch done by hand, each bead, each sequin, each minute rolled hem on the finest silk chiffon, all of the excessive basting and complex pattern making and cutting – all by hand. Watching the documentary made my respect for haute couture all the more palpable. Growing up around two serious sewers and sewing a bit myself, an appreciation for a talent like that swells in my heart but now it’s about to burst.
Check out this video on “The Making of a Chanel Haute Couture Outfit”
Recently I got into a bit of a tiff on a little goth blog about Steve Madden ripping off a pair of Alexander McQueen shoes that really tickeld the fancy of the goth scene. (Steve Madden ripping someone off? Can you believe it? McQueen is suing!) I stood firm in my belief that fashion is art and that an artist has rights to their intellectual property. Just because you can’t afford it doesn’t give you the justification to buy what is essentially stolen goods. I would rather do without and fortunately there were a few other commenters who felt the same way. The argument went on and on and well… I really don’t care because as I pointed out, it’s not about a desire to achieve a certain look that you feel unjustly entitled to have, it’s about ETHICS. Someone threw around a comment about the couture designers having enough money to afford some loss to (everyone’s new euphemism for theft) “inspired by” pieces… like that makes it okay. What a bunch of commie bullshit. Oh! It gets me so mad! Even the large companies that have stood the test of time have financial burdens, investors attempt to ruin long standing reputations for the sake of the bottom dollar (even Yohji Yamamoto recently filed for bankruptcy), and at the end of the day there’s a designer, an artist, who simply wants to see their vision realized and appreciated when they share it with the world.
I really wish anyone who has a love for fashion, is new to this whole thing of fashion blogging, or just loves a good documentary will see this film. If it doesn’t instill in you the realization that fashion is art and an appreciation for the excruciating hard work involved, then I don’t know what will. (You can watch it on your computer on Netflix.)
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