Daily Front Row

2011 December 8

Viva Valentino

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Courtney Love, Claire Danes, Valentino Garavani, Franca Sozzani, Eva Chow, Afef Tronchetti Provera
Billy Farrell Agency View Gallery

(NEW YORK) Sometimes, you gotta wonder if Valentino Garavani just might be New York's most legendary designer. Despite the fact that the man isn't even officially designing anymore—also, he's Italian, a downright Roman legend—but he and Giancarlo Giammetti manage to draw an A-list crowd all the way down/up to Barry Diller's IAC headquarters to toast his Virtual Museum, an interactive computer program that one can download onto a desktop and admire 300 Valentino originals, fashion shows, and video interviews. Not like he doesn't deserve accolades: it's just...impressive, is all. Sarah Jessica Parker, Hugh Dancy, Claire Danes—whose new show, Homeland, is required viewing, just trust—were only among a few of the BFA fodder who exited chauffered sedans into a throng of red umbrellas.

Garavani was his usual dapper self, admiring all the ladies sporting confections both his and Maria Grazia Chiuri/Pier Paolo Piccioli's. Rachel Zoe, Courtney Love, Izabel Goulard...the beauties were myriad; all that was missing was Valentino intimate Natalia Vodianova. (And her new love, Antoine Arnault, whom we really do need to see more of in New York). Tiramisu, champagne panna cotta, Daphne Guinness, Ingrid and Sandy—there was a lot to digest, but this crowd never has any trouble keeping up the momentum. Enough with the words—browse our Gallery for full photographic evidence.