Valentino to showcase major fashion exhibition in Qatar

Maison Valentino will present its largest exhibition to date and its first presentation in the Middle East with ‘Forever Valentino,’ in homage to its founder Valentino Garavani with Qatar Museums.

‘Forever Valentino’ will run from October 28, 2022, to April 1, 2023, within the M7 design and innovation hub, located in Msheireb Downtown Doha, as part of the year-round national cultural movement Qatar Creates.

The exhibition will be a “theatrical experience,” explains the brand, exploring the Haute Couture codes of the fashion house, as well as a voyage through Rome, Valentino’s home, the place where everything started and where its identity belongs to.

The opening will coincide with Valentino Garavani’s 90th birthday and the unveiling of the Valentino autumn/winter 2022 Haute Couture collection in Rome.

In a statement, Valentino said that the exhibition will bring a “dream-like” version of Rome to Doha, guiding viewers in and out of palazzos, squares, and courtyards. While also allowing exclusive access to “secluded, intimate spaces such as the celebrated Valentino Ateliers, the storied archives of the Maison, and the fitting salons in the fabled headquarters of Piazza Mignanelli”.

Qatar Museums to host ‘Forever Valentino’ exhibition paying homage to designer Valentino Garavani

The exhibit is curated by Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the New Museum New York, and fashion critic and author Alexander Fury, alongside Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. The major perspective will examine the codes of Valentino and the methodologies of Haute Couture with more than 200 Haute Couture pieces and ready-to-wear outfits presented on mannequins by La Rosa.

The Valentino looks will be accompanied by accessories and fashion objects displayed in an immersive scenography, which will weave richly textured images of Rome inlaid with "private memories" from Valentino’s six decades-long history. This will include rarely seen ensembles designed for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy and, more recently, Zendaya.

The exhibition will also include ensembles from the private collection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a long-standing client of Valentino.

‘Forever Valentino’ exhibition opens at M7 in Doha, Qatar on October 28.