Valentino Leather Clutch
21st Century and Contemporary British Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Clutches
2010s Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
Early 2000s Clutches
20th Century Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
21st Century and Contemporary Clutches
21st Century and Contemporary British Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
1980s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
21st Century and Contemporary Clutches
21st Century and Contemporary Clutches
1990s American Clutches
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Clutches
1980s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
2010s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
Early 2000s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Bags and Minaudières
Early 2000s Italian Sandals
21st Century and Contemporary Structured Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Structured Shoulder Bags
2010s Italian Shoulder Bags
2010s Italian Tote Bags
Early 2000s French Clutches
Early 2000s Italian Shoulder Bags
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Structured Shoulder Bags
Vintage 1970s Swiss Artisan Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel, 10k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Native American Wrist Watches
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Swiss Artisan Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Swiss Artisan Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Swiss Artisan Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1940s Unknown Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
Early 2000s Shoulder Bags
Vintage 1960s American Native American More Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
Vintage 1970s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Recent Sales
2010s French Clutches
1990s Italian Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Clutches
1980s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
Early 2000s French Evening Bags and Minaudières
1990s Italian Clutches
1980s Italian Shoulder Bags
1990s Italian Clutches
1990s Italian Shoulder Bags
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Wallets
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
21st Century and Contemporary British Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
2010s Italian Clutches
1990s Italian Top Handle Bags
2010s Italian Clutches
Valentino Leather Clutch For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Valentino Leather Clutch?
Valentino for sale on 1stDibs
The mononymously known Italian designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (b. 1932) is renowned for his fashion house of romantic styles and feminine shapes that he founded in Rome in 1960. Valentino dresses, skirts and other apparel captured the hearts of many of Italy’s wealthiest ladies in the couturier’s early days and led to commissions from Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness, Jayne Wrightsman and others on the international best-dressed list (when it still meant something). They sought out Valentino for gorgeous gowns, jackets, elegant daytime wear and even when they needed wedding dresses.
An early fascination with fashion developed when Valentino attended the theater as a child and was dazzled by the evening gowns on stage. While a teenager in Voghera, Lombardy, he studied under Italian designer Ernestina Salvadeo and soon moved to Paris, where he trained at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Valentino spent time apprenticing under haute couturiers Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche, learning how to design and construct high fashion while also thinking about how to strike out on his own.
In 1959, Valentino returned to Italy, and a year later, he opened his own salon, soon joining with longtime professional and personal partner Giancarlo Giammetti. It was located on Rome’s trendy Via Condotti and modeled after the French maisons. One of his earliest clients was Elizabeth Taylor, who discovered Valentino while she was in Rome filming Cleopatra and ordered the white dress that she wore to the premiere of Spartacus.
When the designer launched his first couture line in 1962 with its fiery red colors, it was internationally celebrated, with Valentino soon attiring fashion trendsetters including Princess Margaret and Audrey Hepburn. He formed an especially close friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for whom he designed numerous dresses. Luxurious drapery with fine needlework, bold uses of color and dramatic flourishes would define Valentino fashion across the decades.
As a fashion house, Valentino is best known for its signature Valentino Red color, though one of its iconic lines is the monochromatic “no colour” collection for which the designer won the Neiman Marcus Award in 1967. (The collection also debuted his trademark “V.”) The white dresses and beige dresses led to a demand for Valentino wedding gowns, with clients including Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez and Anne Hathaway.
Valentino retired from his fashion empire in 2007, with Alessandra Facchinetti and then the duo Maria Grazia Chiuri (who departed in 2016) and Pierpaolo Piccioli succeeding him as creative directors. But Valentino still steps out of retirement for special occasions, such as designing a wedding gown for Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013.
Today, the brand offers a range of collections that include the Valentino Garavani line and REDValentino, a diffusion line that is aimed at a younger audience. The house has expanded far beyond women’s haute couture and prêt-à-porter to encompass various lines of accessories, including shoes, sunglasses, scarves and perfume.
Find vintage Valentino evening dresses, handbags and other items on 1stDibs now.
Finding the Right clutches for You
Vintage and designer clutches are the perfect size to hold exactly what you need. While they’re typically small purses, Chanel clutches, Gucci clutches and other kinds of clutches can make a big impact on an outfit. They also have a fascinating history.
Clutches are handbags without handles that are carried by hand. One of the oldest known clutches was made in Mosul, Iraq, in the 14th century. It was made of brass and inlaid with gold and silver in geometric patterns. Although the loops on the side indicate it likely had handles to wear as a shoulder bag, manuscripts show a similar example being carried by hand.
Fashion designers often made clutches to reflect the wealth of the holder. In Medieval Europe, men and women securely carried items in small bags hidden inside their clothing as tie-on pockets. Women carried their possessions, scented and secreted, in the folds of their voluminous skirts. Pockets eventually became integral to garment design, but bigger sacks were needed to carry books and documents. When women’s clothing became lighter, consisting of fewer layers, it could no longer easily hide their handbags or pockets.
Changes in fashion led to handbags becoming a popular fashion accessory, and today, even as we’re overwhelmed by options from a variety of high-end brands, iconic luxury handbags still rule. The highly decorative bags of the 19th century faded from popularity when women entered the workforce and the clutch became the dominant business accessory. Flappers in the 1920s, clad in the dazzling Art Deco jewelry of the era, also loved the freedom of carrying clutches as they didn’t get in the way of dancing.
The simplicity of the clutch remains stylish today. Once made to be carried on special occasions, they are now an accessory for everyday use. Find a collection of vintage and designer clutches from Dior, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and more on 1stDibs.