Above: Tim Groen, Keni Valenti, New York, 2010.

Keni Valenti of Retro-Couture

Keni Valenti has no need for yet another “Marilyn” dress. Unless, of course, it’s asymmetrical and “has draping on this hip, and darts on that shoulder, or something.”
Retro-Couture, Keni Valenti’s astounding and overwhelming archive of vintage (mostly women’s) fashion, which he founded in 1995, needs only truly interesting cuts to complement the 10.000 or so pieces already stored.

While one memorable $50 purchase turned out to be a rare, wool suit from one of a few collections a young Yves Saint Laurent designed for Dior*, Keni is not acquiring new pieces with the narrow focus of an antiquarian.
“Right now I’m more interested in a remarkable detail than in amazing provenance,” says Keni, to explain his Marilyn-dress comment, and adds that he is “definitely not a dealer”. With a substantial fashion background—he ran his own label for 13 years—and with years of experience putting “inspiration” presentations together for the design teams of major houses (sorry, not naming names!), Keni has become an invaluable resource for a host of designers. Simultaneously fulfilling the roles of helpful librarian—you know, the kind that can recommend a book you’ll love and knows which shelf its on—, buyer and consultant. And celebrity stylists as well have a special spot on their speed dial for Keni. Movie stars and other celebs with a commitment to a designer (in less commercial times they used to call this being a muse, now it’s called “doing the campaign”) are contractually obligated to wear something current. But, says Keni with a smile, “they can wear a dead designer all they want.”

Because his clients count on Keni to personally help them, he is virtually rendered a one-man show, “although I prefer to call myself an Extravaganza,” he laughs. This leaves him little time to pay too much attention to current collections, but occasionally he visits stores to see what’s out there. Usually going through the racks leads him to think, “Aha, that’s where that ruffle went”, or “That’s what they did with that neckline!”
Most successful dress designers are not looking to reinvent the wheel, nor do they need to. As Keni explains it: “There’s a limit to what you can do; we’re dealing with the human body, and pretty much every silhouette has been explored at some point in time.”
And this must be a comforting though for the man who can, at a price, pull you an example of every possible pleat, cuff, bodice or flounce.
“There will always be a need to reference something. If it’s not the fabrics, its the prints, or the buttons, or the shoe, or the bag. I think a good archive just goes on forever.”

*Later, the $50 Saint Laurent-designed Dior suit auctioned for $ 44,125. at Christies—not too shabby!