ELLECANADA.COM 43
SHOW NOTES
10 MINUTES with
ADUT AKECH
Adut Akech is a natural-born model who calls her
first time on the runway, at 13, “ love at first sight.”
A muse of Valentino’s creative director, Pierpaolo
Piccioli, the 19-year-old was born in South Sudan,
lived in a Kenyan refugee camp until the age
of eight and was then raised in Australia. Her
arresting beaut y and genuinely positive nature
quickly made her a darling of the fashion world.
In the fragrance campaign, she stars as a motor-
cycle-driving ingenue who races through the
streets of Rome with her man—played by Anwar
Hadid—along for the ride.
ON VALENTINO DONNA BORN IN ROMA
“Certain perfumes have to be worn at certain
times with certain out fits, but [when I wear] this
one, I feel like I can throw on anything and I can
wear it anytime. I feel most confident when I get
to be myself or when I’m in environments that
allow me to be myself.”
SAFETY NET
“Whenever I’m feeling anxious or I’m having a bad
day, my mom is all I need to get back to myself.”
HER MANTRA
“Remember who you are! Know yourself. And on
the beauty side of things, less is more.”
REAL TALK
“My experience has taught me to be grateful
and appreciative of everything I have in my life. If
you have a goal and a dream, you can’t give up.
When you don’t have many choices, giving up
isn’t an option—if I didn’t go get water, I would be
thirst y. I’m proud of my roots: I’m a refugee, I come
from nothing...and I’ve worked my ass off to be
where I am today.”
EVENT
Valentino’s Donna Born in
Roma fragrance ball
LOCATION
The Italian embassy
in Paris
IN ATTENDANCE
Pierpaolo Piccioli,
Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin
Scott Thomas, Adut
Akech, Lauren Hutton,
Valentino Garavani, Janet
Mock, Anwar Hadid,
Mandy Moore
Created by perfumers Amandine
Marie and Honorine Blanc, the new
perfume contains notes of vanilla
bourbon, jasmine and pink pepper.
Valentino Donna Born in Roma Eau
de Parfum Spray ($160 for 100 mL).
For details, see Shopping Guide.From far left: Adut Akech in
Valentino Couture; guests
arriving at the ball; one of the
many floral arrangements;
Anwar Hadid; Lauren Hutton;
one of the luxe rooms with
the terrace in the back-
ground; Valentino Garavani
and Gwyneth Paltrow