Presen Rodríguez

And there is no one better than Presen Rodríguez, to recreate that period when we hardly heard of prêt-à-porter  and all the heroines or anti-heroines in the film noir pictures were dressed from head to toe with haute couture outfits. This installation also bring us memories of the films which were made before and after the Nouvelle Vague and images of Paris in the 60’s, those black and white films where fashion was played a major role, serving as a counterpoint to the plot. What would films such as The lovers or Last year at Marienbad be without the dresses Gabrielle Chanel designed for Jeanne Moreau or Delphine Syrig just to mention a few  examples? How many cinema buffs and also fashion addicts have watched “Ruby Gentry” once and again, just to see the wardrobe that eccentric Russian designer Valentina created for the character played by Jennifer Jones, a peasant woman turned into a great lady. In this installation created  by the designer born in Seville who is based in Valencia, there are no zebra leather rugs, neither big vases full of callas or lilies, nor white telephones standing by a chaise longue , but the clothes exhibited there convey the feeling of the chic and elegant ambiance of  those decades. With the aim of putting special emphasis on the cinematographic roots, there is going to be a screening of the only film directed by Presen Rodríguez so far, a short film where we can see the designer in her atelier, with a model trying on the new collection. When you see it, it reminds you of the feverish atmosphere portrayed in a film where fashion played a very important role :Qui-êtes vous Polly Magoo? By William Klein, set in Paris in the 60’s with a nod to the great Paco Rabanne. Black dresses, from Chanel’s most cherished  petite robe noire, to the very chic evening dresses creations, decorate this installation. The final touch is a white velvet bridal gown which takes us to the Tsarist Russia.