After the Q&A with André Leon Talley

On Monday night, I went to see Valentino: The Last Emperor—for the third time! But this screening was very special. Director Matt Tyrnauer introduced the film and afterward he held a Q&A alongside Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley.

Matt provided some background on how it all started…After meeting Valentino for a piece he was writing in Vanity Fair, Matt was struck by the extraordinary relationship between the designer and his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti. He approached them about making a documentary and the men agreed.

After two years and over 270 hours of film footage, what began tentatively as a year-long project evolved into an intimate journey with Valentino that included everything from haute couture and his lavish 45th anniversary party in Rome to his company’s ownership changes and retirement. The result is a touching tribute to the legendary designer’s work and the final stages of his prolific career.

With Valentino director Matt Tyrnauer

Of course, this did not come easily.  Matt joked that for his first film he chose “the most difficult person ever to live.”  During production, he nicknamed Valentino and Giancarlo “Liz and Dick,” referring to the famously dramatic couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. I could have died when he said that. This is Valentino we’re talking about! But then again, Valentino is a master and known perfectionist. I imagine it was tough at times for Matt and his crew (which ranged from twelve people at most to two during some of the more personal scenes).

I hope he feels the result was well worth it. The film has been wildly received and clearly I’m a fan. Initially slated for a two week run at Film Forum here in New York, the movie played for two months and was relocated to accommodate the demand. It is now in 45 cities across the country. I hope everyone overseas will have the opportunity to see it, too.

This film really captures the end of an era, as Matt noted in the Q&A.  Valentino’s 45th anniversary party brought together fashion luminaries from around the world for a celebration that was once in a lifetime and will likely never be rivaled.

André Leon Talley peppered the director’s stories with great anecdotes and detail. André is vivacious. He is so in love with fashion, and I absolutely adore that about him! I feel the same way. He had nothing but genuine admiration for Valentino. And he was similarly positive about couture, when asked of its fate by an audience member. Couture will never die, he said. Glamour and high fashion just change, and we should we move forward with them.