VALENTINO The name Valentino has been associated with high fashion for almost 50 years. Based in Rome, Valentino’s exquisite and romantic designs have dressed young Hollywood and high society all over the world. The brand is a “beacon of glamour” – Voguepedia. Valentino Garavani has worked with one simple precept for years. He once said: “I know what women want. They want to be beautiful.” - Ode to a Fashion Legend, Valentino. “This is a story with the same protagonist throughout. The fashion elements and themes may evolve but the women behind the pleats, the embroideries, the bows, remains the same.“ – Valentino, Themes and Variations. Valentino has built his once small fashion house into a fashion empire. The designer’s first foray into fragrance, simply titled Valentino, was introduced in 1978. I am going to analyse the magazine advertisment for Valentino’s first signature scent Valentina, launched in 2011. Discussing areas such as its semiotics, cultural, historical and social references, brand identity and promotion to break down this advertisment into key components to see how successful it is. The image itself is photographed by David Sims and depicts Danish supermodel Freja Beha Erichsen, leaning on an ornate white marble mantle piece, with a mirror over hanging. Her arms are outstretched above her head along the length of the mantel, half obscuring her face. She is facing the camera, however her gaze is towards the top left hand corner. Her hair is disheveled and she is in the nude.
WHO IS VALENTINA? The short film that runs along side the campaign gives us an insight into the life of Valentina. “Valentina is beautiful, radiant with charms belonging to a modern heiress. She is seductive, sophisticated, unconventional, charismatic. She creates her own style.� - Valentino website. She is a rebellious Italian heiress running away from the constraints of living in an aristocratic society in Rome.
WHERE IS VALENTINA? Rome, the home of Valentino couture remains the inspiration and ideal home for her. An Italian Villa of grandeur. “Classical Roman Palazzo but there is nothing she likes more than feeling the heart beat of the vivid city of Rome.” - en.parfums. valentino.com. The reflection in the mirror shows us glimpses of old paintings, carved paneling and a hanging chandelier as seen in the Rococo movement of the 18th Century. The word Rococo “covers the kind of ornament, style and design associated with Louis XV’s reign and the beginning of that of Louis XVI” – Dictionary of the French Academy As seen in the advertisement delicate porcelain figures on furniture and carved mirrors hanging above mantels were a prominent Rococo style. The Rococo style was associated with extravagance and elegance but also playfulness, an echo of Valentina’s personality and also the aim of the Valentino brand – to indulge their consumer in a taste of Italian luxury even if they cannot buy into their expensive couture.
THE COUTURE BOTTLE The couture bottle in the foreground imitates this ornamental design. It wears three flowers, emblems of Valentino couture, in pale shades of white, ivory, and nude. The sleek bottle is topped with classic silver and black, “Skillfully blending and contrasting naughtiness and innocence, restraint and audacity.� - Valentino Press Room
THE FACE OF VALENTINA The mirror provides a shadowy depth of layers to the image adding a mysterious allure, some objects such as the chandelier are half obscured, similarly to Valentia’s face. Valentina represents the new generation of Italian ‘It’ girls’. “She drives us on her quest to experience today’s Italian Dolce Vita (good life) with utter freshness, irreverence, and attitude.” - Bestthingsinbeauty.blogspot.co.uk. Freja herself describes Valentino as “elegance, sophistication. It is contemporary and sensual and has a romantic twist. It is ultra feminine and beautiful.” – Grazia interview 2011. Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli chose her as the face of Valentina because “She’s a little bit punk, a little bit princess. You can’t define her in one word, which you can do with some models,” says Pier. “She can really change from fragile to strong with one look.” - Teenvogue.com. Thus the edgy model juxtaposes the strong heritage of the brand exhibited through the traditionally ornate set, giving the strong brand heritage of Valentino a unique twist and therefore bringing the scent to a new younger consumer.
WHAT IS VALENTINA GAZING AT? Frejas gaze is the main focal point of the image. She is looking towards the top left hand corner of the image, which we can see reflected in the mirror to reveal the ostentatious architecture of the room. She is also in the nude. According to John Berger “in advertising males gaze, and females are gazed at.” Paul Messaris also notes that female models in adverts addressed to women “reat the lens as a substitute for the eye of an imaginary male onlooker,’ adding that “it could be argued that when women look at these ads, they are actually seeing themselves as a man might see them.” Arguably Valentina could be imagining being gazed at by her lover or perhaps reflecting on her entrapment of her high society life. Her nudity is not necessarily provocative; she has decorum (her breasts are cut off from the shot, which is unusual for fragrance marketing.) She has a sense of natural beauty and innocence, yet still a hint of rebellion and sensual allure that will intrigue the desire of both men and women.
Freja’s mesmerizing gaze and Audrey Hepurn inborn beauty will capture the audience’s attention; the advertisement has been published in every fashion publication, viewed by millions. The black and white tone of the image creates sophistication and draws on the idea of heritage, it also creates shadows and textures not only in the architecture but also in Valentina herself. She blends into her surroundings yet her gaze tells another story. “she is the only protagonist of a hypnotic, bewitching story full of references and allusions to legendary figures of Italian fashion and cinema.” – Valentino Press Room. The Valentina campaign and the story behind the fragrance draws on inspiration from ‘Roman Holiday’ staring Audrey Hepburn in 1953. A sweetly romantic film about royal princess out to see Rome on her own.
THE NEW GENERATION OF VALENTINO Valentino Valentina has a target audience of 20-35 year old women. The fragrance is aimed at the youngest Valentino fragrance customer with its light Italian floras, however all of Valentino’s fragrances are hugely popular with women of all ages. Freja Beha Erichsen successfully brings the brand to this younger consumer through her charismatic yet rebellious portrayal of the modern Italian heiress. This is successfully portrayed in the film that runs along side the print campaign, however it is questionable whether the print campaign itself is as suited to the younger target audience. It speaks of sophistication, class and elegance, appealing to a seemingly older women and Valentino’s tradional female consumer. The two therefore slightly contradict each other in terms of mood and interpretation. The print version having darker, seductive tones which speak of luxury and Valentino’s Italian heritage. Despite this however, it does effectively represent Valentino’s brand identity. The brand will always be associated with elegance and class. Valentino has always had the desire to make “Women feel beautiful” – Telegraph. Valentina accomplishes this ambition – to be graceful and timeless, like Rome itself.
BIBLIOGRAPGHY
Notes on ‘The Gaze’ by Daniel Chandler http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/gaze/gaze08.html Seventeenth & Eighteenth Century Art: The Rococo Movement http://all-that-is-interesting.com/seventeenth-eighteenth-century-art-the-rococo-movement/2/#wW2tyQXRyJGsZ8Aw.99 Valentina Eau de Parfum http://bestthingsinbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/valentina-eau-de-parfum.html Valentino Valentina : Perfume Review by Victoria in New Perfume Launches, Perfume Reviews http://boisdejasmin.com/2012/05/valentino-valentina-perfume-review.html Ode to a Fashion Legend, Valentino: The Last Emperor, by Richard Corliss. Time, March 18, 2009. http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1886062,00.html Valentino Website http://en.parfums.valentino.com/film.php http://www.parfums.valentino.com/uomo/the-movie History and background of Valentino http://www.fragrancex.com/products/_bid_valentino-am-cid_perfume-amlid_v__brand_history.html Exclusive: Freja Beha On Being The Face of Valentino’s Valentina Fragrance 24 November 2011 by Jessica Vince http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/beauty/archive/2011/11/24/interview--freja-beha-for-valentino-valentina-fragrance.htm Rococo by Independent Liverpool http://independent-liverpool.co.uk/rococo/ Valentino http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Valentino Rococo Movement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEuS50-LU2c Ways of seeing 2: The Female Nude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okD_37Xnlvc
BIBLIOGRAPGHY BOOKS Title: Valentino, Themes And Variations Author: Pamela Golbin 1970Publisher: New York, N.Y. Rizzoli Publish Date: 2008 Title: Vogue Fashion Author: Linda Watson Publisher: London : Carlton Publication date: 2008 Title: Baroque and Rococo : art and culture Author: Vernon Hyde Minor Publisher: London : Laurence King Publication date: 1999 Title: Valentino Author: Bernadine Morris Publisher: London : Thames and Hudson Publication date: 1996 PEOPLE Interview about Valentina with Fragrance consultant at Debenhams Nottingham. IMAGES Valentino Valentina Pinterest Board http://gb.pinterest.com/rachaelatkins56/valentino/ Valentino Website http://en.parfums.valentino.com/film.php
REFERENCES Vogueapedia http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Valentino Ode to a Fashion Legend, Valentino: The Last Emperor, by Richard Corliss. Time, March 18, 2009. http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1886062,00.html Title: Valentino, Themes And Variations Author: Pamela Golbin 1970Publisher: New York, N.Y: Rizzoli Publish Date: 2008 Page 1 Valentino Website http://www.parfums.valentino.com/uomo/the-movie Valentino Fragrances en.parfums.valentino.com. Rococo http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Rococo.html Valentino Press Room http://en.parfums.valentino.com/PagePresse/en/index.html Valentina Eau de Parfum February 20th 2012. Valentina Eau de Parfum bestthingsinbeauty.blogspot.co.uk. Freja Beha On Being The Face of Valentino’s Valentina Fragrance 24 November 2011 by Jessica Vince http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/beauty/archive/2011/11/24/interview--freja-beha-for-valentino-valentina-fragrance.htm Freja Beha Erichsen On Being the New Face of Valentino’s Valentina Fragrance http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/perfume/2012-05/freja-beha-erichsen-beauty-essentials?slide=4 Notes on ‘The Gaze’ by Daniel Chandler http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/gaze/gaze08.html Valentino: ‘I have always wanted to make women feel beautiful’ BY GEORGIA DEHN | 03 JANUARY 2013 http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG9758213/Valentino-I-have-alwayswanted-to-make-women-feel-beautiful.html