Fashion Designer Week - Valentino
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born on the 11th of May 1932 in Voghera, Lombardy, Italy. He is known as an Italian fashion designer and the founder of the Valentino SpA brand and company. His main lines include Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, and R.E.D. Valentino. Valentino became interested in fashion while in his home of Northern Italy. He apprenticed under his aunt Rosa and local designer Ernestina Salvadeo. Valentino moved to Paris in 1952 to pursue his interest. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux - Arts at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He found an apprentinceship in Paris with Jean Desses where he helped style icon Countess Jacqueline de Ribes sketch her dress ideas. He then joined Guy Laroche for two years. In 1959 he returned to Italy and set up his business in Rome. In 1960 he opened a fashion house on the Via Condotti with the help of his father and an associate of his.
His first collection was along the lines of what he had seen while he was in Paris and models from Paris flew out to Rome to walk in his show. Valentino became known for his red dress, in the bright shade that became known in the fashion industry as 'Valentino red'. Valentino's international debut took place in 1962 in Florence, the Italian fashion capital at the time. By the mid-1960's he was already considered the "undisputed maestro of Italian couture", recieving in 1967 the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award, which is the equivalent of an Oscar in the field of fashion.
In 1964 he was to be in the United States to present a collection of his work at a charity ball in New York. Jacqueline Kennedy wanted to view the collection but wasn't able to make it to the event, so Valentino sent a collection of pieces to her apartment on Fifth Avenue. She ordered 6 of his haute couture dress, all in black and white, and wore them during her year of mourning following President John F. Kennedy's assasination. Valentino later would design the white dress worn by Jackie Kennedy at her wedding to Aristotle Orassis.
Jackie's wedding dress; Valentino
Jackie and Valentino soon became good friends
Valentino has also dressed Audrey Hepburn, my favorite old Hollywood star.
Audrey in Valentino for Vogue Italia, August 1969
On September 4th 2007, Valentino announced to the world that he would be retiring in January 2008. In 2012-2013 a major new exhibition opened at Somerset House in London celebrating the life and work of Valentino, showcasing over 130 haute couture designs.
Valentino has dressed a good number of today's celebrities as well. Here are a few of my favorites:
Kate Bosworth in Valentino, 2011
Anne Hathaway in Valentino, 2010
Blake Lively in Valentino, 2012
Keira Knightley in Valentino, 2011
Lea Michele in Valentino, 2013
Amanda Seyfried in Valentino, 2013
Nicole Kidman in Valentino, 2013
Jennifer Aniston in Valentino, 2013
Rihanna in Valentino, 2013
Claire Danes in Valentino, 2012
From the red carpet to the runway, here are some of the looks of Valentino's past Spring/Summer 2012 Collection:
Valentino will always be such a classic, elegant haute couture brand. He began his work in 1960 and it has survived through centuries all the way to 2015. To quote Taylor Swift, "we never go out of style."
Check back tomorrow to see my post on sustainable designer, Stella McCartney.
-Haley xxx