Valentino, the last emperor on Netflix watch instantly

Here's another movie I had time to see this past week. I posted the Charlie Rose interview last March and have finally been able to watch the movie. I think it was great because the movie focuses more on Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino's long time partner and business partner too. I like seeing the back story.

I must admit, I didn't expect much. I heard it was all just gratuitous crap about the superficial fashion world. It was just that, but there was something beautiful about the long term relationship between Valentino and Giametti. It's not superficial and not showy.

These documentaries really make the patrons, the women who support these designers kind of look ridiculous. They're oohing and ahhing. They're there for the ride. The respect goes to the seamstresses who aren't oohing and ahhing - at least not in the open.

I got one take home message - apparently revealing ankles in an evening gown is tacky. Valentino has never done it. Never.

Seamless, Douglas Keeve movie

Netflix currently has this movie on watch instantly. I hear they rotate these movies on and off the list so take a look! I've been home resting up from wisdom teeth pulled and am so happy I had the time to watch this film. It follows 3 out of 10 finalists for the first year of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund which was created to discover and recognize important new talent in clothing design. The finalists in 2004 were (the bold are the ones followed):

1. PROENZA SCHOULER – Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez
I learned so much about them. I always wondered if they were dating and they are.. I think.. yeah. They are not that profitable at the time. I'm not sure how they are now. They reveal their costs like how much their home/office costs a month which is interesting. The fact that they are surrounded by models and celebrities shows how hyped up they are and makes them seem less about clothes and more about hype. Don't get me wrong, they've got the talent to back it up, but ... there's just something hedonistic about it.

2. CLOAK – Alexandre Plokhov
In contrast, they only show Cloak with Sarah Jessica Parker and the visit isn't about her, it's about the clothes. He has a great clothing label and to know that he's not making profit, but cutting even really makes me appreciate the passion these designers have for their work. His patternmaker is this Japanese girl (I'm pretty sure). So great because I'm Japanese - I imagine I'm her.

3. HABITUAL – Michael and Nicole Colovos

4. BEHNAZ SARAFPOUR - Behnaz Sarafpour

5. DEAN HARRIS - Dean Harris

6. DEREK LAM - Derek Lam

7. DOO.RI - Doo-Ri Chung
I feel like I've heard/read about her without trying - she works in the basement of her parent's dry cleaning store in NJ which is awesome and I'm so jealous her mother helps her sew zippers! She commutes from Chelsea which is kind of funny. I'm not a fan of her clothes because they are too flowy, but I admire her perseverance. She's the one in the picture, behind the model.

8. LIBERTINE – Cindy Greene and Johnson Hartig
I'd heard of them, although they were not followed it was nice to see parts of their personality.

9. PETER SOM – Peter Som

10. EDMUNDO CASTILLO - Edmundo Castillo
He does shoes. I was not impressed.

The winner got $200,000 and a mentorship with Burberry no less. They have to be pretty established and have promise. They have to be business savvy and creative.

More videos, this time Carine Roitfeld

Tell me what you think...

"I still like what I'm doing because I always do what I like."
sounds a bit mad hatter...