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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY SIDE OF ROBERTO GIORDANO
(Nov. 9, 2004) Hair stylist Roberto Giordano held a fashion show in Santiago last week. Those unfamiliar with the Argentine’s approach may find his shows lack professionalism; those of us who’ve watched Giordano’s popularity grow have come to know there is a good, a bad and an ugly side to his events.
The Good
Picture a long, bright catwalk, filled with long, brown and golden locks, firm derrieres, abs of steel, legs fit to run a marathon and the attitude of heroines who’ve just descended from the heavens. That’s Argentine models – women ready to take the world by storm. Their personal lives are plastered all over the fashion mags and tabloid. They know they rule and show it. The walks of Dolores Trull, Julieta Prandi and Nicole Neumann are the apotheoses of self confidence.
Argentine models enter the business at an early age. In their early twenties, most girls already have years of catwalk and studio experience. Neumann hit stardom after modeling lingerie at the age of 13. Her image has graced the pages of Gente and Caras magazines for over ten years. Her experience shows when she hits the catwalk and the audiences gasp. The same goes for Trull, Prandi, Sofía Zamolo and Roxana Zarecki. Their walking attitude is accentuated by a peculiar feminine charm that makes these girls seem terrene goddesses. If only Chilean models could do the same…
The Giordano shows are pure marketing strategy. Designers kill to participate in them. Chilean designers like Jaime Troncoso – known for his amazing haute couture creations – are cherish invitations to the show, because they get the chance to show not only in Chile, but also in Argentina and Punta del Este. What Chile doesn’t give them, they find in this Argentine circus of glory and glamour. Troncoso himself suffered from a heavy cold, but he wouldn’t allow that to keep him away.
The show has also become a platform of exposure to cosmetics firms, such as Pantene – which launched its new Pro-V products – and the esthetics firm Gloria Johannsen, whose creams, soaps and salts will soon be available in Chile.
The Bad
Tabloids sell, and Giordano knows it. This became evident when he announced Carolina “Pampita” Ardohain’s miscarriage during his press conference two weeks before the show, causing a stir among the Chilean and Argentine media, which led to the absence of the charming model in Santiago. The stylist also tried to get former soccer player Iván Zamorano’s fiancée, María Eugenia “Kenita” Larraín and his current girlfriend, María Alberó, to attend. Alberó declined the invitation, but Larraín was happy to take part. She obviously wasn’t fit enough to share the catwalk with the Argentine models and her Chilean colleagues Pilar Jarpa, Angela Prieto and Carola Jonquera. The stylists and designers knew that, and her hips and derriere were covered at all times.
The Ugly
Giordano made a huge mistake when he invited Cecilia Bolocco onstage and publicly expressed his hope that the former Argentine president, Carlos Menem, will one day return to power. Menem’s extradition has been requested twice, on corruption charges. Chile has denied both requests.
After the show, I headed backstage to interview Giordano. When I asked about his international salons, he said he owns five in Uruguay, while there are only two. He also stated he employed 100 people, while the real number doesn’t even reach 30. He also stated that his real goal is to open a Hair Styling Academy here, “so Chileans get the chance to learn the latest techniques”.
Renato Papiccio, an Argentine businessman, will represent Giordano’s salons in Chile. The investment is said to be close to US$2.5 million. Papiccio’s plan is to open a chain of 12 salons all over Chile, starting with two or three in Santiago. The first one is supposed to open only a block away from the well known Chilean salon O’Brien, which offers state-of-the-art hair cutting and coloring techniques, image advice and personalized attention. I wonder if what we lack is well-financed marketing support. Why is it that so many companies sponsor an international stylist, while his shows display no avant garde styling? In Giordano’s own words, the latest trend on show that night were Giselle Bundchen’s signature long locks (which have been around for over three years).
In conclusion, as designer Jaime Troncoso said, Chile does have the creative and investment potential needed to support a homegrown industry. Why is it then that national designers find such a hard time finding investors who believe in their work and government policies that help the country’s potential shine beyond our borders? I hope we will achieve success without the tabloid circus I saw in Vitacura that night. Troncoso’s words of advice to young designers: “all that is made with love has an amazing result. Keep working hard. Like all capitals of the world, we should hold fashion weeks, in order to show what we’ve got.”
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| ST Photo - Eva Medalla |
| Roberto Giordano and Cecilia Bolocco onstage at the show |
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| ST Photo - Eva Medalla |
| Nicole Neumann at the Giordano Show |
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