Dresses, bags, perfumes from Valentino and Designer Valentino

Red and white, these different shades of red! The most lightweight cut of dresses, the feeling of comfort, as "in your favorite nightgown." This is all he, the great Valentino, "sheikh of chic", as the journalists dubbed him.

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born on May 11, 1932 in Voghera, Lombardy province, Northern Italy. In high school, he worked as an apprentice for his aunt Rosa and local designer Ernestine Salvadeo. Then he studied design at the Milan Academy of Arts. And then, with the support of his parents, he moved to Paris. In Paris, Valentino attends the School of Fine Arts and participates in a competition for young designers, where, like Karl Lagerfeldand Yves Saint Laurent is ranked first.

While studying in Paris, Valentino worked for Jean Dessay, in particular, he helped Countess Jacqueline d'Ribe draw sketches for her dresses. Then for some time he worked for the French fashion designer Guy Laroche. But Valentino's dream after graduation was to work for the fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga. This dream was not destined to come true. And soon Valentino returns to Italy. To Rome.

In Rome, he opens his own atelier in Via Condotti. And in 1962 he met Giancarlo Giametti, who would become his good friend for many years, as well as the general director of the Valentino fashion house. It is Giancarlo Giametti who will take on all the responsibilities of running the business, while Valentino will be exclusively engaged in creativity. And soon he will perform in triumph at the international show at the Florentine Palazzo Pitti. The press will be delighted with the collections of the novice designer. By 1967, Valentino was dressing style icons such as Jacqueline de Ribe and Babe Paley. And Valentino himself receives the Neumann Marcus Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the fashion industry.

In 1968 he presented his White collection, within which, for the first time, he used the logo “V” as a decorative element. And it was after this collection that Valentino was named “Sheikh of Chic”. Soon he will sew a lace wedding dress for Jacqueline Kennedy, one of the most elegant women of the mid-twentieth century, who by that time was going to marry the Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis.

In the early 1970s, Valentino became the first Italian designer to launch a ready-to-wear, ready-to-wear line, opening boutiques in Rome and Milan. His clients are stars and royalty. In addition to clothing design, Valentino also begins to design tiles, textiles, furniture, and accessories.

Now Valentino regularly takes part in Paris Haute Couture Week. He never invites famous top models and even more so the stars, because the viewer, in his opinion, should only admire the clothes. Soon Valentino boutiques are opening outside Europe, for example, in the USA and Japan.

And Valentino himself in the early 1980s sews uniforms for the Italian Olympians. It is for this work that he will be awarded one of the highest awards of his country - the Order of Merit for the Italian Republic.

In 1988, the Valentino Fashion House moved to the luxurious Palazzo Minyanelli of the 16th century, with huge mirrors and antique furniture. The palazzo is immediately filled with many mannequins in well-restored costumes of the past centuries.

In the early 2000s, Valentino and his friend Giametti sold their company initially to the Partecipazioni Industriali holding, and then the Valentino Fashion House was resold to Marzotto Appareli, a Milan textile giant.Nevertheless, there were no contradictions between Valentino and the new owners of his Fashion House, the master was allowed to bring all his ideas to life. But in 2007, Valentino announced that he was retiring and retiring. His successor, he appointed Alexandra Facchinetti, who had previously been by Gucci.