Who would have thought that a documentary about fashion would earn the highest-grossing opening weekend for a doc so far this year? Well, the film does cover a more intriguing topic than fashion in general: it follows iconic designer Valentino (who's now 76) as he's leaving his position as head designer at the Valentino Fashion House, which he founded in Rome over 45 years ago. Produced and Directed by Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair, Matt Tyrnauer, Valentino, The Last Emperor (see Armond White's review here) also explores the designer’s life and unique career in addition to uncovering ongoing issues surrounding the current fashion industry.
The film earned an opening day box office record at Film Forum on March 18, becoming one of the theater’s most successful premieres in years. While many New Yorkers are certainly overzealous about fashion, this fashion doc’s fate may not be so sealed in green when it opens in other cities.
