In the early second century AD, Rome’s most architecturally talented emperor, Hadrian, built a massive temple near the Colosseum and dedicated it to Roma, the divine personification of the city, and to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.
Last night the gigantic podium of that temple played gracious host to an off-the-chart party thrown by the emperor of style, Valentino. Forty-five years ago, the young designer made Rome the home of his fashion house. Since then, his reputation has gone global. This weekend he is celebrating his long relationship with the Eterna with a gala of the type that hasn’t been seen here since the fall of the Roman Empire. (In return for the privilege of using the temple as an extravagant party venue, Valentino has donated 200,000 euro for the restoration of the structure. Minister of Culture, Angelo Bottoni, says that the work made possible by these funds is already underway.)
In preparation for the imperial event, Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti got the opportunity to recreate ancient Rome with his own special effects. Rising to the occasion with aplomb, he erected fiberglass Corinthian columns on the temple platform and in an impressive spectacle that would have amazed even the ancient Romans, these were slowly illuminated as the sun set behind the Roman Forum. The stage set made clear the fact that it wasn’t just Valentino receiving homage at this party, however. The designer aptly shared his accolades with Venus, the goddess who brought beauty into the world, for from a giant niche facing the Colosseum, a colossal and nude Venus gazed enviously across the designer-clad crowd of 300 who dined and danced in the cool evening air.
Just before midnight, Venus and Valentino were further honored with an acrobatic performance staged between the Temple platform and the Colosseum. Women dressed in Valentino Red and suspended on invisible cables ascended into the stratosphere to the tune of Ave Maria. Once aloft, spotlights illuminated their flowing gowns and sinuous movements as they performed an ethereal dance while the haunting voice of Maria Callas singing Norma wafted across the eternal landscape.
As the women in red reentered our atmosphere, an astounding display of V-inspired fireworks exploded against the backdrop of the Colosseum. Traffic stopped and a crowd of plebeian spectators gathered to admire this highly choreographed pyrotechnic display, after which Valentino’s departing guests were whisked off to their limos by means of golf-cart litters.
