Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/138830
OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOFIA SANCHEZ AND MAURO MONGIELLO. THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE FORUM SHOPS AT CAESARS (BOUTIQUE); BY KRISTY SPAROW/GLOBAL GIFT GALA/WIREIMAGE (LONGORIA) Valentino's new accessories concept at the Forum Shops is the first of its kind in the US. names, however, are unquestionably fashion's biggest mouthful: Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. It's something of a delight to discover that in the label's Rome offices, they are referred to simply and expeditiously as MGPP, which also nicely symbolizes the intellectual and creative fusion they employ throughout their work. In October the pair celebrate their fifth anniversary as co-creative directors of Valentino, and their influence now extends to every aspect of the company, including store design—which will be highlighted in July when the house opens two significant new shops in Las Vegas. At the Forum Shops at Caesars, what was previously a Valentino boutique has been transformed into a 750-square-foot accessories-only store, the first of its kind in the US. It is here you will find everything from those coveted bags—accented with the Valentino bow or in the label's signature luscious red patent leather—to the Rockstud capsule collections, a grouping of Vegas-friendly studded shoes, bags, and other leather goods, in Rouge's red or Naked's see-through PVC. Chiuri and Piccioli collaborated with the British architect David Chipperfield on the store's concept, a series of rooms that feel equal parts posh and intimate. "They wanted to create something that felt more like a palazzo, a home, to provide the client with that special one-of-a-kind experience," explains Valentino CEO Stefano Sassi. According to Chiuri and Piccioli (fittingly, in a joint statement), "We immediately thought David Chipperfield was the ideal person to interpret this concept due to his amazing ability to organize and BELOW AND MIDDLE RIGHT: The Forum Shops design spaces, to create a mood with surfaces, store will focus solely and to cleverly alternate open and closed on accessories, such as this shoe and bag elements." from the Rockstud At almost the same time, this collaboration Rouge collection. will be seen on a larger scale, as the brand will also open the doors on a 3,000-square-foot boutique at Crystals at CityCenter in July. The new location will offer a complete look at the Valentino universe, from ready-to-wear to bags, shoes, and other accessories. It will open with the Fall/Winter collection, a sensuous, sculptural mix of luxury and austerity: Chiuri and Piccioli were inspired by Dutch paintings, such as the portraits of Frans Hals and Vermeer's famous Girl With a Pearl Earring, and you see this in the severity of the cuts and the pristine white collars, although the wide, open necklines were also very much intended to accent the face and skin. It's far from overt sexuality, but the effect is undeniably sensual. 072-073_V_SS_StyleSetter_Sum13.indd 73 The Valentino boutique at the Forum Shops (ABOVE) is undergoing a transformation, while a brand-new store opens at Crystals. The Vegas locations will be only the third and fourth in the US (after New York and Beverly Hills) to showcase the new design concept, but there are plans to roll out the concept to the remaining seven Valentino boutiques across the country. Sassi says the brand's sales have seen a 70 percent increase over the past three years, with the US key to that growth. Not to be discounted, of course, is the celebrity factor, which could have diminished with the founder's departure. Gwyneth Paltrow at New York's Met Gala and Nicole Kidman at Cannes each sported new yet unquestionably elegant looks from Chiuri and Piccioli—which is to say, very Valentino. "They have done something that has not been easy," Sassi says. "They have been able to keep the codes and traditions of the Valentino maison, while at the same time modernizing the brand and bringing their own vision to the house. Maria Grazia and Pierpaolo design all of the collections with the craftsmanship and concept of couture, which is the legacy of the maison." Eva Longoria Forum Shops, 702-893-4800; Crystals, wore Valentino in Paris in May. CityCenter; valentino.com V 6/17/13 11:23 AM