Description
VALENTINO BIOGRAPHY :
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (11 May 1932 – 19 January 2026), known mononymously as Valentino, was an Italian fashion designer who founded Valentino S.p.A., a luxury fashion house, in 1960. A flamboyant designer known for his retro pieces and celebrity collaborations, Valentino is regarded as one of the preeminent figures in haute couture. Born in Voghera, Valentino apprenticed in fashion design at a young age before moving to study in Paris. Following his education at École des Beaux-Arts and Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, he began his career at Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche before returning to Rome to learn under Emilio Schuberth and Vincenzo Ferdinandi. He opened his own fashion house on Via Condotti in 1960, making his international breakthrough during the mid-1960s. The Valentino brand continued to establish itself as a leading figure in high fashion throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Valentino and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, sold the company to HdP Group for US$300 million in 1998 and he conducted his final haute couture show in 2008, having departed as creative director the year prior. He was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and a Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour in Italy, as well as a Knight of the Legion of Honour in France, where he received the Medal of the City of Paris.
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (11 May 1932 – 19 January 2026), known mononymously as Valentino, was an Italian fashion designer who founded Valentino S.p.A., a luxury fashion house, in 1960. A flamboyant designer known for his retro pieces and celebrity collaborations, Valentino is regarded as one of the preeminent figures in haute couture. Born in Voghera, Valentino apprenticed in fashion design at a young age before moving to study in Paris. Following his education at École des Beaux-Arts and Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, he began his career at Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche before returning to Rome to learn under Emilio Schuberth and Vincenzo Ferdinandi. He opened his own fashion house on Via Condotti in 1960, making his international breakthrough during the mid-1960s. The Valentino brand continued to establish itself as a leading figure in high fashion throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Valentino and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, sold the company to HdP Group for US$300 million in 1998 and he conducted his final haute couture show in 2008, having departed as creative director the year prior. He was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and a Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour in Italy, as well as a Knight of the Legion of Honour in France, where he received the Medal of the City of Paris.
