Daily Front Row

2012 March 26

Ciao, Beverly Hills: Valentino Fetes 50 Years...Again!

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Maria Grazia Chiuri, architect David Chipperfield, and Pierpaolo Piccioli
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(NEW YORK) Gold may be a common gift for 50th anniversary soirees, but typical trappings aren't in the cards when it comes to Valentino. To ring in the big 5-0 stateside, the Italian maison's creative directors Maria Grazie Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli teamed up with award-winning British architect David Chipperfield (again!) to design three sprawling U.S. flagships. The trio of outposts all resemble Italian palazzos from top to bottom, employing lavish materials including grey Venetian terrazzo with Carrara chippings, timber marble, mirrored glass, leather, and American walnut. 

The first stateside flagship, nestled in Beverly Hills on 324 North Rodeo Drive, will open its doors tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. for a cavalry of 150 well-heeled devotees like Rachel Zoe, Emma Roberts, Jamie King, Rachel Roy, Mena Suvari, and Khloe Kardashian. Chiuri and Piccioli will host the invitation-only celebration alongside Maria Bell, Gia Coppola, Nicky Hilton, Helen Kinnear, Nathalie Love, Minnie Mortimer, Shannon Rotenberg, and Julia Sorkin.

In addition, partygoers will get a sneak peek of the 50th anniversary Valentino capsule collection. The 50-piece lineup, inspired by Valentino Garavani’s “anamalia” prints from the sixties, will include a wide range of ready-to-wear and accessories. Expect to see a resurgence of famous archival prints on updated silhouettes like the iconic black Panther pattern (a nod to Valentino's first trip to Africa) re-imagined in a lacy frock. Or the renowned black and white giraffe motif, circa Spring 1966, on a swinging capelet. As for the accessories, there will be plenty of nylon totes, studded velvet hobos, bangles, Chelsea boots with rockstud detailing, and derby toe-steppers to go around.

The graphic, limited-edition collection will be available to the public exclusively at the Beverly Hills Valentino boutique on March 28.
MARIA DENARDO