Valentino

He was and continues to be one of the greatest representatives of Italian elegance in the world even after his official retirement from the catwalks. Always sober, never predictable, his clothes are among the most recognizable and among the most adored by the stars of the "old" and "new" generation. If we were to associate a color with a person we would have no doubts: red is definitely Valentino.

Let's discover all the secrets and virtues of the man and the stylist personification of charm: Valentino Garavani.

Biography

Born at the registry office Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, the designer was born in Voghera on 11 May 1932, second son of Mauro Garavani and Teresa de Biaggi. Valentino and fashion embark on their personal "love story" when Garavani is still a boy. He immediately directed his studies to the world of stylistism, first attending a fashion design school in Milan and then moving to France. In Paris the designer specialized at the École de La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture.

Mario Testino

It was precisely in the French capital that Valentino took his first steps in the world of fashion, even working in the atelier of Guy Laroche in the 1950s. He returned to his homeland between the 1950s and 1960s, reaching Rome and perfecting himself first as a student of Emilio Schuberth and then becoming a collaborator at the atelier of Vincenzo Ferdinandi.

The Valentino brand was officially born in 1957, not without problems: the maison risked, in fact, being set aside due to bankruptcy. This danger was partly avoided thanks to the partnership with his partner Giancarlo Giammetti, an architecture student with whom he founded the brand again, leaving the management of the financial part to the latter. The new fashion house rose from the ashes of the previous one in 1960; the previous year Valentino had opened the doors of his first atelier in Rome.

The brand and Valentino's reputation as a designer literally exploded a few years later: it was 1962 when Valentino managed to get noticed during the fashion show of his first collection at Pitti Moda in Florence. The Sixties and Seventies were full of recognitions and important events for the designer from Voghera, who in 1968 began to make his brand recognizable to the world by using the iconic brand “V” and who even went so far as to dress Jacqueline Bouvier in one of the most important moments of her life: her marriage to the shipowner Aristotle Onassis, a more unique than rare meeting between icons.

There are numerous boutiques that Valentino opens around the world: Tokyo, New York, Lausanne, without forgetting his beloved Paris. In 1971 the creative in turn became the muse of Andy Warhol: the American artist decided to portray him in one of his popular works. Meanwhile, the brand is growing, including not only the clothing sector, but also the cosmetics sector; It's 1991 and the perfume "Vendetta" is put on the market.

Valentino exploits his popularity by embracing the very important cause of people affected by AIDS: together with Giancarlo Giammetti he founded L.I.F.E. in 1990, an association that promotes information and awareness campaigns in order to combat the deadly HIV virus.

In 1998 Valentino and Giammetti sold the brand to the German house HDP; the same will be taken over in 2002 by the Marzotto Group, which will incorporate the brand into the Valentino Fashion Group.

The farewell to fashion and the 45th anniversary of the maison

It's 2007: Valentino decides to say goodbye to the catwalks definitively, being replaced during the first two years by Alessandra Facchinetti. In the three days of 6,7 and 8 July of the same year, the designer celebrated the 45 years of his fashion house, inviting six hundred guests to Rome, all of whom gathered at the Temple of Venus, the nucleus of the Roman Forum, rebuilt thanks to the painstaking work of the set designer Dante Ferretti. The guests are entertained by all sorts of shows: fireworks, aerial dancers and the inevitable Valentino red to illuminate the location.

These sumptuous celebrations and other key moments of the designer's last two years of work were captured in the 2008 documentary “Valentino: The Last Emperor” directed by “Vanity Fair” journalist Matt Tyrnauer.

Private life

Valentino has never hidden his homosexuality, loving for twelve years his partner - and still the designer's trusted person - Giancarlo Giammetti. The two lived together with their mothers until the death of the two women.

The couple has never hidden that they prefer a rather lavish lifestyle , opting for authentic manors as homes and not disdaining to show off a sparkling red car or a splendid yacht.

Valentino surrounds himself with trusted friends, a sort of extended family which in addition to Giammetti includes the creative's current boyfriend - the former American model Bruce Hoeksema -, the Brazilian brothers Sean and Anthony de Souza with their parents Carlos and Charlene Shorto de Ganay (his ex wife), both Valentino PRs.

The style of the brand and Valentino red

When we talk about any dress from the Valentino fashion house, we cannot help but associate a color with the brand: red.

It is precisely this nuance that is the actual trademark of the fashion house Valentino, a shade tending towards orange (but without actually being so) created by the designer by expertly mixing the tones of cadmium red, purple and carmine.

An inimitable colour, a touch of genius that Valentino owes to his trip to Spain, where he had the opportunity to observe such colours. Valentino red embellishes dresses with an elegant, refined and delicate line, which dress the body, enhancing it and which are not characterized by frills or excess.

Valentino S.p.A.

Creature born from the brilliant mind of Garavani, Valentino S.p.A. was founded in 1960. Its creative director is Pierpaolo Piccioli.

After an initial setback and the risk of closure, the fashion house was refounded thanks to the fruitful professional and human partnership between the designer and Giancarlo Giammetti, who will manage the financial part of the company, leaving the creative aspect to Valentino.

After the maison's winning debut in 1972, Valentino became the reference brand for many international showbiz stars. In addition to creating clothes, during its growth the brand came to create accessories and other products, such as sunglasses and perfumes. In 1998 Valentino and Giammetti sold the company to the HDP group; the latter in turn sold the brand in 2002 to the Marzotto group. in 2012 the Missoni and Valentino fashion houses were sold to the Qatari company Mayhoola for Investments.

The products that are part of the Valentino brand range from men's/women's clothing to bridal collections, including glasses, perfumes and watches. It is also possible to request tailor-made garments. The reference target is that of a selected, wealthy clientele of different age groups (in fact, there is also a line designed specifically for a younger clientele, the REDValentino).

It is possible to purchase a prestigious Valentino garment by visiting the official website of the maison: Valentino Online Boutique

Muses, testimonials and collaborations

The sober and at the same time seductive style proposed by Valentino could only attract a highly coveted segment of international stars, ready to become queens for a night or - why not? - forever, thanks to the designer's sumptuous creations.

In addition to Jackie Kennedy Onassis Valentino had the pleasure of dressing other beautiful and very famous women in the different eras to which they belonged. Among Valentino's most beloved muses, a place of honor undoubtedly occupies Meryl Streep, who together with her colleague Anne Hathaway (who chose the maison for the creation of her wedding dress) also had the pleasure of acting alongside the designer in the famous film "The Devil Wears Prada" in which Valentino appears, in fact, for a cameo.

Another important Valentino bride dressed is Princess Marie-Chantal Miller. In addition to Hollywood cinema divas such as Julia Roberts, there is also no shortage of local VIPs: from Simona Ventura to Ilary Blasi up to Michelle Hunziker, there is no entertainment personality who has not worn - or wanted to - wear a Valentino.

Even the most famous doll in the world wears Valentino, albeit for charitable purposes: in fact, a limited edition Barbie was created wearing a reproduction of the dress worn by Roberts during the 2001 Oscar night.

Honours

During his long and prolific career Valentino has obtained important honors.

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic - Rome, 10 October 1986
• Cavaliere del Lavoro - Rome, 1 June 1996
• Knight of the Legion of Honor — Paris, 6 July 2006
• Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters — October 11, 2012

 

Quotes

Valentino stood out for his considerable acumen, dispensing very important reflections not only on the world of fashion, but also on the society in which we live. We propose some of the designer's most significant quotes.

• "For me the catwalk is just a piece of wood. Clothes come to life if worn by real people"
• “Anorexia is a disease, not a trend“
• “Today those who have money do not always have class and memory“
• “Beauty is a very internal thing“
• “When you see a woman dressed in red you feel a great relief“