"...kissin' Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream..."

Another treat while in Brisbane was going to the Valentino exhibit. I'd seen the posters while I was in Sydney, noted it was at the Gallery of Modern Art, GoMA, in Brisbane and it was on until November. "Shame" I thought, I don't see myself going to Brisbane just for that, "but maybe, who knows". Who knew indeed, two days later I was booked to go assist at a yoga workshop with one of my gurus! I can highly recommend this exhibit. Here are some of my favourites: from left to right: #130 S/S 2003 Crimson Chiffon, Taffeta Roses, Pink & Grey; #184 S/S 2008 Pink Silk Voile; #184 F/W 1990 Dress:Pink Chiffon Shirred Skirt, scalloped top, embroidered, sequinned in Baccarat Crystal design. Wide Pink Satin Coat, padded lining in Baccarat Crystal motif, Beige/Pink/Fuchsia. An emerging Pink theme now?

I know it sounds really superficial, a display of dresses by a suave Italian designer spanning the last 40 years or so, using glorious flowing, feminine Italian silks, velvets, bead work. Worn by Hollywood starlets, royalty and Oscar winners. Covetted by many more, myself included, over the years, not a hope of owning such a gown or having an occasion for such a gown, inspiring none the less. I was so taken with the historical significance and beauty of the collection I couldn't wait to purchase the catalogue to serve as permanent inspiration. But they'd sold out in the first 2 weeks of the exhibit. Ah!!. Despite the fact that I would have really struggled to fit it in my bag, it was still a let down. I did find a copy of a Missoni book on sale and Christian Dior's Little Disctionary of Fashion and yes, they had a much better chance of fitting in my suitcase. My name was on the list, they'd call when more stock arrived...I walked home via the Go Between bridge again, inspired but a little unfulfilled (see my previous 'Brisbane' post). So cool that it was named after the band. They were influencing me musically in the 1990's while YSL did so with design, it was kind of a poetic moment...I'm getting ahead of myself though. I was reminded of times I'd seen Robert Forster and Grant McLennan (together and separately) play the Annandale hotel and Powderfinger supported one of them in their very early years and my friend sent love notes to Bernard Fanning during the gig! Too bad they are sold out in Cairns tonight.

So what's the story behind my excitement around the Valentino exhibition, apart from all the colour and movement? Well, twenty five years ago I visited a retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. I was a keen textiles student at high school and fortunate that was a good enough reason for my mum to indulge her own couture eye and take me to see it. Not only that, she bought me the catalogue, well it was in the name of education.
That exhibition left such a big impression on me, maybe it was too big and that's why I chose a different direction as I completed high school (I wonder what might have been with a formal education in textiles instead of psychology!). I still made my own clothes and a few formal outfits for my sisters. For most of my life I've had a growing collection of material, ribbons, buttons, old clothes ready to be recycled and have their adorable fabric recreated into something other than its original form. More recently my 'fabric corner' became my yarn stash and now they both share a room.

Then the YSL book disappeared. For over 10 years.

As a result of a couple of housemoves, including extended visits overseas I lost track of my YSL book. I thought maybe I'd lent it out or given it away when I went through a major book cull before going overseas. It wasn't until I visited the Valentino exhibit that I realised how much the YSL book meant to me and how much I missed it. A call to mum and a couple of days later, low and behold she'd found it! It had resurfaced recently would you believe, emerged out of the garage while being cleaned out. I was so delighted, especially when it arrived in the mail last week. Followed by the Valentino catalogue a few days later. GoMA came through. So there they are side by side on my 'inspiration' shelf. A couple of suave Italians and stylish Frenchmen. I almost want to get back into a fine cut black woollen suit...
And male designers on one side of the book shelf and female artists (Kahlo, Broardhurst, O'Keefe) at the other end, I've never noticed that. Interesting.

Now no holding your breath while I whip up some inspired creation with my trusty Janome and no doubt many trips to the local Spotlight with its seemingly improving selection. And what ever happened to really great fabric shops like Home Yardage (yup, never thought I'd say that back in 1988) and the Fabric Shop which completely captured the imagination and had comfortable stools and little pencils with slips of purpose-printed paper to jot down all the Vogue, McCalls and Butterick patterns you wanted to 'do something with'? Thank goodness there is still Tessutti to idulge the occasional tactile needs, its just not the same buying fabric online.

Actually it did turn out to be a 'manic' Monday and its taken me two days to realise.