Valentino

Holy cannoli, has it really been a month since I've written?  Where has the time gone?  I can't believe tomorrow is August.   I did have a vacation but it was more of a "staycation".  I didn't do very much but then again, did a lot!  Does that make sense?  I worked on my upcoming projects....so yeah I did enjoy my time off :)

 I may have mentioned in my last post that I've got a new interest.  Most might assume that my post "Valentino" will be about well, Valentino, the great designer from the fashion house of the same name.  Don't worry, there will be some of that!  However, I have another Valentino in my life; Valentino Rossi.  Maybe it's the bright colors of his leathers or how he rides a motorbike with such grace. Maybe it's because he's Italian (C'mon...most women love an accent!) Or, maybe it's his personality and the passion and dedication he has for what he does.

I never thought I'd be one of those people....You know, the ones who are hard core sports fans or more specifically a motor sport fan (I still don't think I'm that hardcore).  Yet, I find myself, every other Sunday sporting my "I heart VR" T-shirt and my hubby wearing his bright yellow "The Doctor" shirt, ready for the race.  Where had this sport been all my life?  Funny thing is, while "invisible" to me, it was actually in plain sight!!  John, my husband,  has had a motorbike since the age of 13 and has followed this sport for years but did not mention it to me. I've had a fascination with bikes for a long time.  When I  was younger I used to watch the show "Dark Angel", anyone remember that?  Jessica Alba drove this black Kawasaki Ninja (I think) and looked so cool.  I said I would be cool like her some day.   I  laughed a bit when John introduced me to Moto GP.  He told me his favourite rider is Valentino Rossi.  I thought to myself, woah, wait a minute....this is the dude that kept popping up in my Valentino searches when seeking a little fashion therapy.   He was always right there, a link to the world of Moto GP yet I overlooked it thinking he was some old man in a leather suit...silly me.   I was immediately intrigued and began to watch races with John.  I soon found myself fascinated and addicted.  So addicted that I ordered our T-shirts straight from the VR46 online store as a surprise for John's birthday.  It arrived on a Friday, a little over a week before his birthday.  However, there was a race on Saturday in the Netherlands at Assen.  I felt it was ok to give him an early birthday gift.  Best part, we had our t-shirts for the race and Rossi won for the first time in over two years!!!  It was great to have watched him in his moment of victory.  I had been somewhat sad that I started watching the sport so late  and missed all the highlights of his career...but I got to see this one and that made me happy!  Okay, you're probably thinking, "what's the deal then? Why are you telling me this"?  Well, the deal is that this new love I have for Moto Gp and admiration for Rossi has helped me with my own goals.  I also bought John Valentino Rossi's autobiography, "What if I Had Never Tried It" (anyone who knows me, knows I like themes for birthday gifts. I'm a dork like that..he also got new leather pants for biking...nice Dainese ones..).    I one day picked up the book out of curiosity thinking maybe I will learn some more about motorbikes.   I did, but I also learned about a person.  Someone most see as an icon or a celebrity.  I read about a person with a deep passion for something.  A person who isn't afraid to try or fail and most importantly, someone who has always (and still does) remained true to himself.  After reading this I have an even greater appreciation for Valentino and the sport.   He made me realize that sometimes we have to fall in order to succeed...or in his case, crash.  It's not about the fall, it's about how we get up and keep trying and if we are passionate about something, we never give up.  Still today, he is always trying to find ways to improve even though he is considered the greatest of all time by many.   All I know is I would rather look back and say "What if I had never tried it" then "What if I had tried harder". Who would have thought I would find inspiration from a Moto Gp driver!?  I've actually decided to sort of pay homage to Moto GP for the show I'm putting a couple pieces in.  Using black and white and maybe a colour.  The fabrics I've chosen are  stripes which I've cut into a chevron pattern and the other is actually a checked pattern!! Fingers crossed they turn out just as fabulous as they are in my head!!!  Inspiration can come from anywhere!  Oh and I should mention....I've finally, after years of wanting to, decided to get my bike license and even looked at bikes!  Now, maybe I will be as cool as Dark Angel ;)

Photo via www.motogp.com
As a lover of colours I will admit...I'm totally attracted to the colours he sports.

Photo via www.motogp.com
The Laguna Seca race.  Rossi, years ago made this incredible yet questionable (Umm ok ,awesome) pass on Casey Stoner at this very spot,"The Corkscrew" and this rookie, Marc Marquez...whom I am also a fan of, did the very same thing to him!   The great part of this story is that Rossi is this 20 year olds idol. 

Photo via www.motogp.com
Seriously though, who doesn't love a man on a bike.  My husband came in the house still wearing his leathers and said "admit it, I'm 30% more attractive on my bike" I did not disagree...I told him to just leave his suit on.

The fabrics I'm using for the show!!! I can't wait to see the finished products.

After my somewhat deeper spiel, here is my first love, Fashion!  Like I said,  I have two Valentino's in my life...here is the fashionable one!!!  Not that the other one is not fashionable...he's definitely got his own style :)

Here is a look at some of the looks from the Valentino Resort 2014 collection.  As you see, I'm totally drawn to color and a sucker for lace!

All Valentino resort 2014 photos via www.style.com