Valentino: Themes & Variations

The chapter on Valentino's relationship with the French government gave me a whole new appreciation for his place in fashion history. I love flipping through the Rome-inspired sketches, they feel so personal and luxurious.

The photos of the couture work are gorgeous, and I didn't expect the text to go so deep into his Rome atelier years. Reading it on the train, I kept stopping to study the details on the evening gowns.

I bought this as a gift for a friend who's obsessed with couture, and the chapter on the Rome atelier's history ended up being the part I read first myself. The print quality on the garment details is sharp enough that you can actually see the stitching.