VALENTINO, ARMANI SPAT OVER ‘TASTE’
ROME — Valentino and Giorgio Armani are sparring over what’s tasteful.
Valentino’s nude model made such a splash at the Paris couture shows that the designer decided to bring him to Rome for the “Donne Sotto le Stelle” fashion show on the Spanish Steps, a show that’s broadcast to millions of viewers around the world.
Armani didn’t think the idea was so great.
He told the Italian press it was a pity his colleague had to stoop to such lows to grab attention: “Maybe Valentino is behaving like those weekly magazines that put nudes on the cover so they sell more copies. Valentino doesn’t need to do this for people to talk about him.”
Valentino bit back. “With all due respect to his product, Mr. Armani should actually design alta moda before passing judgment on it.
“The Paris nude was supposed to be a small sign of irreverence, but sometimes these examples are blown out of proportion by those who cannot offer a product that is up to par,” he told Italian papers.