On October 27, 2022, Qatar Creates, Qatar Museums and the Valentino House hosted the opening of the « Forever Valentino », a large exhibition that pays tribute to the founder of the sewing house, Valentino Garavani, and to its legacy still in the process of excellence of Haute Couture. The exhibition is now presented at M7, the design and innovation centre of Msheireb Downtown Doha.
The exhibition is the largest ever dedicated to Valentino House and is the first presentation in the Middle East of the company's creative achievements. Coinciding with the celebration of Valentino Garavani's 90th anniversary and the unveiling of the Haute Couture Valentino collection « The Beginning » In the heart of Rome, the exhibition is conceived as a vast panorama of the history of the sewing house, integrated into a set that evokes the Eternal City, where the Valentino House was founded in 1959.
His Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa said: « With the eyes of the world riveted on Doha as we launch our exciting program of events surrounding the FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022TM, I am proud that we welcome the public in an exhibition as imaginative, glamorous, and elegant as the subject itself: the creations of the Valentino House. I express my warmest thanks to all those who worked with us to make this tribute to a great artistic vision, and I look forward to continuing to share extraordinary explorations of the best of fashion and design.
« Working on a fashion exhibition is an absolute exception for me and I could not think of a better opportunity than to present the work of Valentino House and collaborate with Pierpaolo Piccioli, Alexander Fury and the many great teams that made this exhibition possible. Working in Doha is always very special: it's a place where artists' dreams come to life and work on this show has really been a bit of a dream, or maybe a dream. « capriccio », an imaginary flight that could only become a reality in Doha. " Massimiliano Gioni
« Valentino House is one of the most important sewing houses in the world, headed today by Pierpaolo Piccioli, undeniably one of the great designers of our time. It was an honour and a privilege to work alongside Massimiliano Gioni, Pierpaolo and the entire Valentino House team on this exhibition – on the impressive and slightly incredible task of bringing Rome to Doha, carrying a context with Valentino's creations. Valentino Garavani's legacy – and therefore Valentino's meaning – is to celebrate the beauty, in all its incarnations, of all horizons and times. This noble quest, this constant search and celebration of beauty to improve the world is, for me, Forever Valentino.
Presenting more than 200 Haute Couture pieces and Valentino ready-to-wear outfits, « Forever Valentino » is presented on models by La Rosa and accompanied by accessories and fashion objects presented in an immersive scenography. He weaves a richly textured image of the city of Rome with private memories of the six decades of House history, including rarely seen sets designed for Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and, more recently, Zendaya, as well as superb virtuoso creations and examples of Valentino's excellence.
Organized by Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the New Museum New York, and fashion critic and author Alexander Fury, as well as the creative director of Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli, the exhibition also presents sets from the private collection of His Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a long – permanent customer of the sewing house.
Les visiteurs peuvent voir l’exposition dans les galeries 1 et 2, M7, à Msheireb Downtown Doha, du 28 octobre 2022 au 1er avril 2023. Les billets peuvent être achetés sur le site Web de Qatar Creates, avec un accès spécial et des réductions pour les détenteurs d’un One Pass : www.qaccreates .com. Lancé comme une passerelle vers les arts et la culture pour tous les résidents et visiteurs, le One Pass offre un accès à plus de 300 événements et expériences, y compris des expositions artistiques et culturelles, des musées, des événements en direct, des festivals, du théâtre et des comédies musicales, tout au long de novembre et décembre 2022.