Valentina

Valentina, wearing one of her own designs


Valentina, wearing one of her own designs


Valentina, wearing one of her own designs


Valentina, during a fitting

Ask people today, when you think of New York, and it's fashion, glamour, and style who comes to mind? Many people would say Valentina! Yesterday, while at the Museum of the City of New York viewing the fashion icons gowns, I noticed all of the detailed draping that was involved with many of her designs, and thought that most of the dresses looked very current, and so now. While Valentina lied about everything, from where she was from, to her age and background, she did stay true to the one thing that mattered most to her... high end couture. Valentina designed for some of the most fashionable from the 1930's to the 1950's. Often times the designer and former dancer would show up on the red carpets dressed to perfection, devastating actresses because she would out do them in their fashion and style. I love that!!

Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989) – known professionally simply as Valentina — was a fashion pioneer, clothing such luminaries as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Cornell, and Mrs. Randolph Hearst and helping to invent American couture in the process. Hers was the quintessential New York success story: she arrived in the city as a young immigrant and reinvented herself as the epitome of style and glamour, becoming a fixture in the fashion pages and a major celebrity in her own right.

The Valentina Exhibition runs through May 17 at the Museum of the City of New York. The Museum is a little run down, but the exhibit makes up for whats lacking.

http://www.mcny.org/