Rose Valentino of
Rosalba Valentino Designs is an artist who creates unique couture clothing for women with creatively sourced materials, including vintage and antique, recycled and new elements.
Her style has an organic, feminine, modern-gypsy feel, but it's a real mix due to the collage-style work method and her tendency toward textile-based designs.
In this interview with the Livingston, VA, native, we explore the creative mind behind the artist who explains "clothing is my obsession, and
nature and the human body and mind are my endless sources of
inspiration."
How did you become a clothing designer?
I have known I wanted
to do this since I was a child. I learned first from my mother and grandmother,
and then from a variety of art teachers and mentors, in particular the owner of
an amazing local fabric shop who brought me into her network of expert
knowledge and love of textiles and sewing.
Who are/were your greatest artistic influences?
My greatest
influences have come from stories. I’ve always been an avid reader and have
found incredible emotive
imagery from mythology, fairytales, science fiction, poetry, theater and
performance--seeing Les Miserables as a young teenager was
monumental. I also
grew up in a natural, beautiful rural
homestead surrounded by artistic,
self-efficient people who were inspiring in their
encouragement of creative endeavors.
In terms of
recognizable figures: the lives and work of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the
sculpture of Auguste Rodin, fashion designers John Galliano, Alexander McQueen,
Alice Temperley.
Where do you get inspiration? Do you follow trends?
I get inspiration
from all the other artists out there in the world making the most incredible
works of art from anything from rocks to wire screen to toilet paper. The
internet has opened up such channels of viewing and communication--every day I
discover another artist or musician. Sometimes they’re people who are gone now,
and all that’s left is their work; sometimes
it’s people out there right now creating and sharing. It’s such fuel. Along
that same thread, the idea of trends is changing to me because we share so many
ideas on Facebook and Pinterest that challenge people’s ideas
of what’s hip and what isn't. I hope people follow whatever feels genuine to them.
What motivates your
art at the moment?
Currently I am
inspired by powerful, elemental metal colors like black, red, and silver, and
am playing with color, texture, and transparency to create simpler, sensual
pieces in silhouettes reminiscent of the 70’s.
Where do your
materials come from?
My materials come
from many places. I source fabrics both locally and online, from companies in
the US and abroad. I’ve worked more with organic fabrics-particularly hemp-in
the last few years and all of that has to come from outside the US because our
government’s links with big business would be blown apart if they legalized
hemp for its many uses here in the states. That’s a story for another time.
I also frequently
receive donations of fabric and supplies from clients who are clearing house,
or have had a family member or friend pass away who had a stash. This benefits
us both, as textiles/clothing tend to carry more emotional ties for people and
they appreciate letting these items move into their next reincarnation rather
than throwing them away. Also, when I travel I seek out possible textiles or
materials to bring home, and to my delight, my friends and family do this for
me as well.
Why do your customers
shop with you?
My customers come to
me to find something very unique and beautiful that they know they won’t see on
anyone else, or because they have been left to hang by a clothing industry
that’s largely based on unrealistic concepts of women.
What is your newest
item?
The latest piece is
an A-line skirt with reverse appliques of flying birds done in lace so that the
image is see-through.
What are your most
popular items and why?
Because I work
largely in one-offs, that is not a particularly relevant question for me. And
since each person has individual style, people gravitate to different pieces
I’ve made for different reasons. This question makes me think of this one dress
I made that looked like true vintage, yet it wasn’t. Without fail, people
commented on it, asking if it was vintage. Most people liked the look of it,
but one woman had a visceral negative reaction to it, and this was really
interesting to me. Collectively, the dress seemed to impact everyone, which I
guessed was because of its nostalgic quality, but this woman must have
associated it with something that carried a bad taste for her, and though I’ll
never know what that was, I love that, for her, it was an immediate ‘no’.
How long have you
been creating this form of art? Do you pursue any others?
I have been creating
clothes, in one form or another, for about 15 years. I also do fashion
illustration and occasionally work in charcoal, colored pencil, water color, or
ink.
What time of day do
you prefer to work? Where? What helps you concentrate?
I think the number
one thing I took away from 4 years at university (VCU) was learning the
discipline to work when I need to, which is a different thing from when I want
to! I don’t have a preferred time of day to work unless I’m working on
something very technical and then earlier in the day tends to be better--I feel
clearer and more focused. But I’ve also learned to pay attention when
inspiration hits. That’s what most artists live for and I try to be responsive
to that when it forms up, and that can happen anytime, anywhere.
When I work at my
studio, I have to have music on, and I need the temperature of the room to be
nice, which is a challenge in an old converted school with a clanky dungeon
furnace. I’m like Goldilocks--too hot! too cold! Luckily, I always have lots of
clothing available for quick changes! Also, an almost daily 4:00 chocolate
break helps.
What’s one thing most
people don’t know about you (or would never guess at first glance)?
Nobody would know
that I can do a few hula hoop tricks. I’m still learning! But what a great
question--I think my favorite thing about the human race is that people will
always surprise you with their stories!--that surface appearance is just that,
and tells us so little!
