Valentino

Just like the title of the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor I must agree that Valentino Garavani is truly the Emperor of Italian High Fashion and international trends. As I mentioned in my Giorgio Armani blog the two top Italian designers in my list are Giorgio and Valentino with Valentino being number one. His design and style throughout his four decades and a half in fashion is all about class, romanticism, elegance. His creations are so classic that one can wear them over the years and still be in fashion. As an observer of couture I always check the material and the way the clothes hangs and falls on the body, how the fabric moves and if the design can withstand the test of time and short-lived trends, and indeed Valentino's creations passed all of these things in flying colors. I can go on and on praising his talent and designs and I know it would be endless.

Chiuri & Piccioli Collection for Valentino S/S 2010

Valentino Garavani was born 1932 north of Milan. At an early age he knew that he would like to be a fashion designer. With the encouragement of his parents he went to Paris at 17 to study fashion design. In Paris he apprenticed with Jacques Fath, Balenciaga and at Jean Desses where he learned a lot of things from fashion sketching to assisting clients. It was also great that he apprenticed at one of Paris' great designer Guy Laroche. It was late 1950's when he went back to Rome to establish his own fashion house simply called Valentino. It was in the early 1960's when he met his life partner and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Their business partnership and bond as life partners made his clothing business stronger. His international haute-couture show in 1962 in Florence catapulted Valentino to fame and fortune. His brand became a worldwide name and royalties, celebrities and influential women all over the world became his faithful clients. The rest is history!

The 1970's saw his fashion house designing ready-to-wear clothing for men and women, plus accessories, jeans, perfume and decor line. 1989 his boutique store chains opened in the key cities of the United States and Japan. It was at the same year the Accademia Valentino was opened, which serves as a cultural space for art exhibits. In 1990 together with partner Giammetti and friend Elizabeth Taylor, they founded the L.I.F.E. association for the support of AIDS related patients. The activities at Accademia Valentino benefits this cause.

Chiuri & Piccioli Collection for Valentino S/S 2010

Throughout his career as fashion designer he received numerous accolades and awards. And in 2008 the grand designer of fashion retired. He made his last haute couture presentation in Paris, January 2008 and his last women's ready-to-wear show in Paris on October 2007. The House of Valentino's designs and creations are presently run by creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. Valentino Garavani's line are Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma and R.E.D. Valentino. His famous creations were the Valentino Red dresses and the all-white Valentino dresses which will always remain a classic.



Photo Credit: Valentino's Farewell Haute-Couture S/S 2008 Paris
Photo Courtesy: AP Photo/Jacques Brinon
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510800@N05/2215358818/

Photo Credit: Valentino Spring 2010 Couture
Photo Courtesy: catwalking.com/WireImagePhoto Link: http://www.zimbio.com/Pier+Paolo+Piccioli/articles/A_qpMNM8LEz/Valentino+Spring+2010+Haute+Couture