Valentino opens virtual museum

Valentino Garavani was joined by actress Anne Hathaway yesterday to cut the virtual ribbon on his newest project, a digital museum of designs from five decades of Valentino. The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum, a free downloadable desktop app,

showcases more than 5,000 dresses, illustrations and photographs, as well as 180 fashion show videos.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today we are witnessing the birth of a revolution,” Anne Hathaway said at the Museum launch event at the MoMA yesterday, which was live-streamed. “The Valentino family has created something that has never existed before: a virtual museum that will change art, the art world, and how we experience both, forever.”

The 3D palazzo features different areas displaying dresses grouped by colour, print, embellishment motif and significance to the house. Key pieces include Julia Roberts’s memorable black-and-white Oscar gown, Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress, and a room dedicated to red. The museum also features exclusive interviews with the designer.

“I am happy that thousands of students, young designers, and fashion people will be able to see and study my work in every aspect of it, and in a manner easy and accessible for the younger generations,” said Valentino. “But it is also important to remember things of the past, to review the fashion that has shaped our lives.”