The middle exhibit of the Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future exhibition effectively showcased iconic Valentino gowns in a spacious area near the entrance. Displays of dresses in glass casings allowed views from multiple angles. Limited text and dim lighting prevented visitors from fully appreciating fine details. While the exhibit attracted its target audience and elicited awe, improvements could enhance the visitor experience, such as improved lighting, larger text labels, and interactive elements.

1. Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future
An Exhibit Evaluation Report
V
By : Siti Aisyah Bagarib
ID : 20910329
Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future
COMM3319 – Science Communication Special Topics
UWA
14th
Feb 2011

2. Table of Contents
Executive Summary..................................................3
Introduction...............................................................4
Valentino Garavani....................................................4
Overview...................................................................6
Methodology.............................................................8
Evaluative Criteria....................................................8
1) Reaching Target Audience....................................9
2) Location..............................................................11
3) Content................................................................12
4) Aesthetics and Production...................................14
5) Emotional Response...........................................15
Conclusion..............................................................16
Recommendations...................................................17
References...............................................................18

3. Executive Summary
Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future exhibition pays tribute to a Valentino Garavani,
man who has been placed in the history of haute couture as an undeniable ambassador of elegance
for the past 50 years. Valentino's gowns are widely identified as timeless and glamorous works of
art. Visitors will be able to see 100 gowns on display that were once worn by celebrities, royalties
and socialites such as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
and Elizabeth Taylor among many others.
The exhibition is held at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore for the first time in Asia and I will be
evaluating the effectiveness of the middle exhibit of the exhibition for my school's Exhibit
Consultation assignment.
The exhibit is evaluated according to the following criteria: how effective it was in attracting
target audience, location of the exhibit, the content, aesthetics and emotional response of the visitor.
Overall, the middle exhibit of Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future is a successful and
affective one but some recommendations were made at the end of this report that would improve the
quality and visitor experience to the exhibit.

4. Introduction
Valentino Garavani
On may 11th
1932, Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born to Mauro Garavani and
Teresa de Biaggi. He was first hired by Greek vouturier Jean Desses and then for Guy Laroche 5
years later. In July 1962, Valentino shows his collection for the first time and continued doing so for
50 years, having designed for royalties, Olympics, celebrities.
Illustration 1: Valentino Garavani
Illustration 2: the signature bright shade of red that
has become known as 'Valentino Red' in the fashion
industry. (Fall/Winter Collection 2009)

5. The Haute Couture line was introduced in Paris in 1989. Valentino Garavani has forged a place
for himself in the history of haute couture as the undisputed ambassador of elegance. Valentino’s
style is based on sober yet sophisticated shapes and his pieces are constructed to give fluidity,
femininity and sensuality. His cuts are graphic, his fabrics sumptuous, and his collections always
include a vast colour range embellished with elegant embroidery. Valentino’s work combines
romanticism, modernity and classicism.
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made
to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn
with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,
often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. (Shaeffer, C., 2001)
Valentino announced his retirement in 2007 and held his last fashion show in 2008. He appointed
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli as Creative Directors for Valentino.

6. Overview
Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future is an exhibition showcasing original gowns by
Valentino Garavani and the seven-week long show is being held at Resorts World Sentosa
Convention Centre. This area is saturated with attractions and retail outlets. A Universal Studios
Themepark and a Casino is also located here. Resorts World Sentosa is constantly packed with
crowds of locals and foreigners of all ages.
The showcase is in Asia for the very first time. The exhibition occupied a large floor-space and it
is divided into 5 areas. I will be evaluating the middle exhibit area of the exhibition, which is the
Illustration 3: Outside Entrance

7. first thing visitors see when they walk through the entrance right after purchasing admission tickets.
This area of the exhibition is the most spacious.
Exhibit Area
Illustration 4: Layout Floor Plan of Middle Exhibit
Illustration 5: View visitors see right after walking through the
entrance

8. Methodology
The goal of this consultancy was to determine the effectiveness of the Valentino, Retrospective:
Past/Present/Future exhibit and recommend possible improvements that could be made. I visited
the exhibition twice during the month of February 2011, once on a Public Holiday weekend and
once more on the last weekend of the exhibition. On both occasions, an average of 2 hours in the
late afternoon was spent inside the exhibit observing effectiveness and visitor interactions and using
qualitative methodologies to arrive to my conclusions.
The summative evaluations that are made later in this report will be based upon criterion that I
have considered to be important for an art/museum type exhibition. Evaluations will be made
according to how it fares with target audience, visitor experience, effectiveness of the location,
effectiveness of displays and labels etc.
Evaluative Criteria
1. Reaching Target Audience: Exhibit should attract the intended target audience. The
types of visitors and overall motivation of visiting.
2. Location: Accessibility, surrounding ammenities
3. Content: Relevance and amount of information provided
4. Aesthetics: Exhibit layout, displays, labels, panels, interior design
5. Emotional Response: Visitor attention, reactions, psychological state

9. Evaluative Criteria
1) Reaching Target Audience
The main objective of the Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future is to display dress
collections, promote appreciation, inspire creativity and support art and design education.
Although there is a certain sense of elitism that comes with designer labels, these works of art
are now available for appreciation by the general public. The target audience here would mainly
be adult females between the ages of 23 to 45 and anyone working or studying in the media,
design or fashion industries.
Admission tickets are attractive and reasonably priced to attract visitors. Priced at $12 for a
standard adult ticket, various discount rates and free admission for children under the age of 4
were also available.
From my observations, the exhibit has managed to attract it's target market and an even wider
range of audience. There were a lot of males present at the exhibit who were just curious and
appreciated a good dress. Quite a percentage of the visitors were also children who came with
their guardians but enjoyed the exhibit nonetheless.

10. Types of visitors
Most of the visitors were strollers, slowly walking through the exhibit to look at the displays,
pausing just long enough to snap a picture and occasionally stopping to read a thing or two. Visitors
were generally only interested in the visual details of the outfits and very few were interested in
reading the label descriptions.
The exhibition is designed to accommodate those who wish to skim as well as those who wish to
take more time. The exhibit area is spacious and the dressed were enclose in clear, life-sized glass
casings which made it possible of the displayed items to be observed from different angles.

11. 2) Location
Venue chosen to hold the exhibit was appropriate with the overall theme and targeted audience.
Resorts World added a crafted visitor experience as the surrounding areas tie in the sense of high-
end living what with the Casino just located opposite etc. (Weaver, S. 2007) Venue is also easily
accessible from the Waterfront Tram service located only 3 minutes away and it is also within
walking distance to mainland Singapore.
The floor space for the middle exhibit was the biggest and most spacious among the exhibits. Since
the middle exhibit area is right at the entrance, it was crucial that it made a good first impression to
those who just stepped in through the doors. It was a good decision to place the more popular and
iconic dresses in this exhibit as visitors could quickly recognize them and not feel too intimidated
and out of place (established personal connection and meaning)
Illustration 6: Resorts World Convention Center

12. 3) Content
It is not only important to have the right amount of content, but also the right mode of presentation
for those information. The medium of an exhibition both commands and is commanded by a host of
other media: exhibition space architecture, explanatory wall labels, lighting, wall colour, exhibition
catalogues and the art of artifacts themselves. As such, exhibitions form a “strategic system of
representations” that mold the cultural meanings and receptions of the display (Bruce W. Ferguson,
"Exhibition Rhetorics," in Thinking about Exhibition, ed. Reesa Greenberg, Sandy Nairne, and
Bruce W. Ferguson (New York: Routledge, 1996), 178. )
Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future pays tribute to the artwork of a man who has been
one of the leading faces in the fashion world. The presentation used has to be appropriate to the
exhibition’s goals, content, and intended audiences. Main content in the exhibit available for visitors
were the dresses on display. There weren't much information about how the dresses were made.
There were 3 wall panels in the exhibit and they were about the designer Valentino Garavani and
quotes on his achievements.
Explanation labels were concise and not too wordy. It basically states which collection the item
was from, the model number (for reference from the Valentino book available), the main materials
used and sometimes who the dress was made for.
Illustration 7: One of the panels in the exhibit
Illustration 8: Description label

13. The displays were designed and installed for easy viewing. Some of the more intricately made
dresses were even displayed so the audience gets a 360 degree view.
The audience is constantly reminded of the theme and main objective of the exhibit.Valentino's
image is placed throughout the exhibit.
Illustration 9: One of the dress what was on display for 360 degree view

14. 4) Aesthetics and Production
Exhibit is a fashion exhibit, and along with the label Valentino comes an expectation of glamour
and sophistication. That theme has been carried out throughout this exhibit very well. Design
elements like colour schemes and exhibit decoration contribute to and support the exhibit's main
ideas and tone. From the moment the visitor steps in the through the entrance, they are greeted by
the view of a magnificent chandelier, high ceilings, and mannequins in different poses showcasing
the dresses. The exhibit hall was dimly lit for conservation purposes to preserve the designs.
Figure 1 shows the design on one of Valentino's creation being carried through to the decoration of
the walls in the exhibit.
Illustration 11: Figure 1
Illustration 10: Figure 2

15. 5) Emotional Response
Emotional response of the audience is another important factor in assessing the effectiveness of an
exhibit. Did audience react positively to the experience? Were they awed or intimidated?
The general response to this exhibit was awe and inspiration. Almost all the visitors took photos of
the items on display.

16. Conclusion
Overall, the middle exhibit in Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future is considered a
successful and effective one. The exhibit started off grabbing the attention of it's audiences with it's
clever use of space and decor. Content was engaging and placed for easy viewing and the dresses
were displayed through attractive presentation using mannequins and lighting was used to make
them come alive. The exhibit was easy to navigate and the area wasn't cluttered with unnecessary
noise. Labels and panels were short and concise and the theme of the exhibit was clear and constant
throughout the visitor experience.
From my interview with the exhibit staff, the exhibit saw and average of 500 visitors on a weekend
and around 100-200 visitors on a weekday. The number of visitors went up to over 1000 during the
last weekend that Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future was held.
Some improvements can still be made to better the standard and effectiveness of the exhibit or
future similar exhibits like this.

17. Recommendations
Here are some constructive suggestions that can be considered to improve the exhibit.
1. Lighting
The items on display were exquisite but some of them were not adequately lit for audiences to fully
appreciate the fine details of the dresses. More attention needs to paid towards spotlight placements.
2. Labels
The description labels were printed in tiny fonts and were placed very low. Visitors had to bend
forward to make out what it said. The situation is made worse by the poor lighting. Again, more
attention has to be paid to placement of the lighting.
3. Interactive Media
I found that the exhibit was too stagnant. Pair this with the huge space and lack of visitors, and dim
lighting, the exhibit might appear lifeless. Some interactive media like LCD TV panels playing
runway shows could be installed to add more life and content to the space.
4. Comfort
It is also important to take into account how comfortable visitors are while viewing the exhibit.
When the audience is relaxed, they are more open to gaining new experiences. There were no
seating areas available in the exhibit and maybe some benches could be installed where appropriate.
Taking into consideration the suggestions that have been mentioned will hopefully provide the
visitors with a more positive experience.

18. References
1. Assessing Excellence in Exhibitions from a Visitor-Centered Perspective -
http://www.exhibitfiles.org/dfile2/ReviewWalkthrough/481/original/Framework1.pdf
2. Resorts World Sentosa - http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-
US/EntertainmentNightlife/ShowsEvents/ValentinoRetrospective
3. "Fashion legend Valentino retires". BBC News. 4 September 2007 -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6978661.stm
4. Ticket discounts - https://reservations.rwsentosa.com/Itinerary/STShowInformation.aspx?
Event=4&Venue=Resorts%20World%20Convention%20Centre%C2%99,%20Level%20B1
5. Museum Planning - http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/exhibition.htm
6. Weaver, Stephanie.2007. 'The bear on the bicycle: the visitor experience defined'. In:
Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos. Gardens, &
Libraries. Left Coast Press. Walnut Creek, Calif.,USA.pp 18.
7.