“I have always thought that art and fashion were two separate and distinct things and that they should remain so. This is not a form of cultural elitism, on the contrary, it is a recognition of the substance that each is made of.”
Pierpaolo Piccioli
Valentino Des Ateliers is a Haute Couture collection, a community of artists, and a dialogue of inspirations. Presented in Venice in 2021, the collection is rooted in the idea of taking inspiration from visual artists selected in collaboration with Gianluigi Ricuperati, to create garments. Likewise, inspiring artists through the Maison’s creativity, know-how, and craftsmanship was a cornerstone of Valentino Des Aterlier. Valentino Des Ateliers is a project deeply wanted by Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli, according to whom fashion is not art, because the latter has no purpose outside of itself, while the first always has a practical scope, a function, a use. Acknowledging differences is the first step in educating ourselves towards mutual listening, made of curiosity, enthusiasm, and respect. This listening needs time, just like Haute Couture and at the end of the day like art. That’s why, this project’s progress has been slow, a pace perhaps unusual for our actual world.
On October 25th, 2023 opens the exhibition “Pittura italiana oggi” at Triennale Milano, curated by Damiano Gullì, marking the sponsorship between the institution and the Maison. The exhibition brings together the works of 120 of the most interesting Italian artists, born between 1960 and 2000, who will create a cultural moment rich in its diversity. Among the featured artists we see Benni Bosetto, Guglielmo Castelli, Francis Offman, Andrea Respino, and Sofia Silva, who have already collaborated with Maison Valentino in the Valentino Des Ateliers Haute Couture collection project in Venice in 2021. Once again, the Maison explores the contemporary art sector, promoting the global narrative on the arts.
In addition to the Haute Couture Valentino Des Ateliers collection in Venice in 2021, major projects that have explored the Maison’s relationship with the art world include Valentino On Canvas, the initiative started in 2021 which has highlighted contemporary and emerging painters and sculptors. Secondly, Valentino Re-Signify I in Shanghai in 2020 and Valentino Re-Signify II in Beijing in 2021, activations that presented the staging of two experiences in which the codes of the Maison were interpreted and presented in a dialogue with contemporary art and visual research. Sponsor of the Italian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, the Maison supported the work of Gian Maria Tosatti on the occasion of the first exhibition project by a single artist in the history of the Italian Pavilion. Collaborating with Gioele Amaro (formerly the artist of the Re-Signify project), the artist in May 2023 exhibited his work inside the new Valentino Avenue Montaigne boutique and presented a unique artwork specially conceived for a billboard on Avenue de l’Opéra (Paris). Last but not least, contemporary artists for Frieze in Singapore and Seoul, were called upon to reinterpret the iconic codes of the Maison through their artistic lens, resulting in never-before-seen works that stimulate meaningful reflection.