VALENTINO - VALENTINA Valentino has been around for decades and has dressed the red carpet in floor length gowns for 54 years. The brand is a “beacon of glamour” (Unknown) for its clientele and admirers. Valentino Garavani once said “I know what women want. They want to be beautiful.”(Unknown) This has been the message of the brand for years and it still lives on with Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli at the helm. I will be discussing the logo, the image, the gaze and the model to breakdown this advertisement into key components to see how successful it is. The Valentino logo has always been the same from its founding in 1959. The logo has consisted of the word ‘Valentino’ in capital letters and in the font Times New Roman. Times New Roman is associated with a classic look; it was used at The Times in 1931 for 40 years. The font has a history; it is elegant yet simple and has a clarity that many modern fonts lack. All these characteristics are seen in the Valentino brand. Some would argue that the brand is stuck in its ways, since the brand identity and logo has not changed since its founding in 1959. One could argue that the brand is not moving forward and is not associated with youth culture unlike other historic design houses. I think that this image is the key to the Valentinos’ success – it prides itself on its heritage and the beauty it has been creating for years. The logo represents the history, the story and the essence of the brand in one simple type face. The image used in the magazine advert is of Freja Beha Erichsen leaning on an ornate white marble mantel piece with a mirror over hanging. Her arms are outstretched above her head along the length of the mantel piece. Her head is facing the camera although her eyes are looking towards the top left corner of the image. Her hair is dishevelled and she has strong black eyeliner on both her top and bottom lids. The reflection in the mirror shows old paintings and hand carved details as seen in the Rococo movement in the 18th century. The image is shot in black and white. Frejas’ gaze suggests someone is talking to her but in a negative tone; her face is half obscured by her arms suggesting that she is hiding behind them. The short film that runs alongside the campaign gives an insight into the life of ‘Valentina”, she is “seductive, sophisticated, unconventional, charismatic” (Valentino website). The film depicts Valentina as a young adult trying to rebel against the constraints of living in an aristocratic society. From the image, we believe that Freja is nude; this only heightens the rebellion seen in the short film. John Berger discusses the idea of ‘The Gaze’ he believes that “the nude reveals how women have been seen and judged as sights.”(Berger), he would argue that Freja is in the nude here. She is there to be looked at, admired and glorified by both men and women. The advert features in publications seen on every newsstand – where readership is in the millions. Whereas Kenneth Clark would argue that the nude “is not the subject of art, but a form of art.”(Clark, 1956) I agree with Clarke, that Freja is in the ‘nude’, but the nude to me suggests that one has an air of decorum and respect for themselves when in the nude in comparison to ‘naked’ which I see as a more derogatory and vulnerable term. However the composition of the image doesn’t jump out to be sexual in a vulgar way, as some fragrance adverts often are. The director or photographer seems to
be trying to convey a sense of natural beauty and coquettishness, so as to feed the consumers’ desire whether they are male or female. As I mentioned earlier, the interior of the room is reminiscent of the Rococo movement seen in France, Italy and Germany. “Its qualities are all on the side of fantasy, wit, sensibility and smiling ease”, the Rococo movement was based on imagination not intellectualism (Kitson, 1966). The style is extravagant, like Baroque but without the concepts and historical knowledge, “its essential object is to please” (Kitson, 1966). Like Valentino, although there may be deep and extensive research carried out before designing a collection, and in this case a perfume, the main objective is to please the consumer and create sales. The Rococo style was all about extravagance and a Utopian dream, this is the aim of any fragrance on the market. Perfumers want to give their consumer the ultimate experience, make them feel powerful and strong. Freja Beha Erichsen is used in the images. She is loved by both men and women; her penchant for both sexes makes her incredibly desirable for many. Her strong relationship with Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld make her hot property in the industry. Grazia named her the “model du jour” (Hermon, 2012). Freja describes Valentino as “elegance, sophistication. It is very contemporary and sensual and has a romantic twist. It is ultra-feminine and beautiful.” (Hermon, 2012) In many ways this is what Freja also represents, she is elegant and sophisticated but she has an edgy twist to her that makes her viable for all kinds of brands and briefs. Although Freja is a relatively young model, the perfume is aimed at the older woman in the regions of 25-60 years. The advert is not overly sexualised or provocative in any way. The image has class, elegance and a simplicity desired by the older woman. Teens do not want pretty, they want to seduce – this is the difference between career women and girls. The Valentina magazine advert is the perfect mix between old and new. By using a current, edgy model to contrast the heritage of the brand and the set, Valentino creates an image that can be related to by all. Some may argue that there isn’t enough energy and vitality to the image – it doesn’t draw the reader in or jump out. But this wouldn’t represent the brand in its entirety. Valentino isn’t about fluro prints or controversial designs. Its sole aim is to make a woman feel elegant and desirable.