Roman Reinvention

by Elizabeth Varnell | Angeleno magazine | February 22, 2012

Valentino Garavani never did much on a small scale. His houses, his yacht and his monumental gown exhibition at the Ara Pacis in Rome were all larger than life. So it seems fitting that current Valentino creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, the line’s visionaries since 2008, commissioned architect David Chipperfield to completely reinvent the Italian fashion house’s storied Beverly Hills boutique.

The new space is pure 21st-century. The achingly modernist British architect is known for his work on the Neues Museum in Berlin, and for his elegant Alessi product designs and furniture prototypes for Cassina—all of which showcase his exacting use of clean lines and famed sense of proportion. And Rodeo’s Valentino is the first American shop to be entirely redesigned in celebration of the line’s 50th anniversary. The results are masterful. Chipperfield created a palazzo set to officially open its doors at the end of this month (the space had a soft opening earlier this year). A series of impeccable rooms flow together just as they would in a house. One is more lovely than the next. Venetian terrazzo frames both walls and floors throughout, and leather walls feel seriously decadent. Imported marble, mirrored glass and molded gypsum make the space pop.

Amid the interior finery hang immaculate prêt-a-porter collections designed by Chiuri and Piccioli—and donned by such singular style icons as Michelle Williams and Chloë Sevigny. Nearby are adjoining rooms filled with serious eye candy: charming sunglasses and rows of bags. But you’ll be forgiven if your eyes skip the visual feast and alight on the shop’s current pièce de résistance: 10 pairs of one-of-a-kind shoes. Such high-voltage Valentino standards as lace, flowers, rhinestones and (of course) the color red are all on display in the Timestrings footwear collection. Each has a handwritten number sequence that describes the total production time needed to craft them. Come for the couture shoes, stay for the palazzo’s grand design. For the house of Valentino, large-scale splendor is key, but time is the ultimate luxury.