Valentino and Vanity Fair

I considered boycotting the August 2010 issue of Vanity Fair since Angelina Jolie was on the cover. (I am on Team Aniston mainly because of her hair.) I'm glad that though I didn't because it was chock full of great design stories including Bunny Mellon's Secret Garden, Architecture in the Age of Gehry, and my favorite, Valentino's New York Revival. If you watched Valentino: The Last Emperor, you saw a glimpse of his Fifth Avenue pied-à-terre but it was a bit dated to say the least. He called his designer on speed dial, Jacques Grange, to "make something more light, and more for my art collection." Now the Basquiat, de Kooning, Prince, Warhol, and Lichtenstein pop off of the white lacquered walls. Looks like retirement is suiting Valentino and his apartment very well!

Photos by Jonathan Becker

VALENTINO: RESORT 2011

Oh, Valentino...

Words can do no justice to this beautiful creation from the 2011 resort collection, which may be one of my favorite from the season. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli did a magnificent job of drawing from classic 60's silhouettes and adding a little edge when modernity called for it...

And still giving us all that Valentino couture detail that we've come to expect from the fashion house...

Simply, perfectly, stunning.

X Spots The Mark

The chances of any of us being invited to stay at Valentino's fabulous flat or chic chateau are slim to none, but that doesn't mean we can't experience a Jacques Grange designed interior. The French designer completely overhauled The Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side and now that the new The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges has just opened in it, you can eat as well as sleep as chic as Mr. Valentino! Pugs sold separately!

Valentino at Home: London

You really didn't think I would post about Valentino without also posting photos from one of his fabulous homes did you? I've been saving images of his Jacques Grange designed London home for a while and was delighted to find even more on Studio Annetta. The home was originally published in the UK edition of House & Garden magazine in January 2006 which makes me wonder how it's changed over the years. A few other photos were seen in my favorite book Jacques Grange Interiors. While the apartment is the epitome of elegance with it's 1930's furniture and Francis Bacon art, it also looks surprisingly comfortable. I hope those pugs appreciate living in the lap of luxury!

Happy Birthday Mr. Valentino

Yesterday was Mr. Valentino's birthday and of all the wonderful cities in the world he could have chose to spend it, he picked New York. I bet that was an amazing event! In honor of his special day, I'm posting some of my favorite images of the designer and his fashions. At 78, he looks just as chic and elegant as he did when he was just starting out. Makes me also wish I had a red dress I could wear today! Happy birthday Mr. Valentino!