Had a very enjoyable talk this morning with the loveliest bunch of ladies from the Benvenuto International Club in Monza about fashion, Rome and la dolce vita. It’s the time when Rome was known as ‘Hollywood on the Tiber’ and the city’s film studios Cinecittà welcomed film stars and film directors who made films such as Quo Vadis?, Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita. In fashion terms, couturiers were dressing film stars, aristocrats and everyone who was anyone, and many of the couturiers were aristocrats themselves.
The talk Tales from Italian haute couture: princesses, frocks and la dolce vita is a star-studded journey through Italian Alta Moda. This is the first of the online fashion talks I’ll be offering to tie in with the publication of my book The Fashion Lover’s Guide to Milan which will be published on March 31st by Pen & Sword books.
If you’d like to join or wish to organise an event at your cultural bookstore, boutique or cultural organisation, I can be contacted at rachaelmartinfreelance@gmail.com.
“You took me back to the years I spent in Rome during the 1960s and I remembered it all, 1968, the atmosphere, everything.” Elda Elvedese
“It was great to listen to you talk about the dolce vita but especially about haute couture and all the relationships and the history of Italy and Rome. You reminded me of my mother when she was younger. She founded Desfile in Argentina, which was similar to Vogue, but came before Vogue.” Luisa Forlini
Photo of Irene Galatzine in 1951, Wikimedia Commons
RACHAEL MARTIN writes 