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Valentino Garavani Ephemera

Italian, b. 1932

The mononymously known Italian designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani is renowned for his fashion house of romantic styles and feminine shapes that he founded in Rome in 1960. Beautiful Valentino dressesskirts 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 gownsjackets, 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 shoessunglassesscarves and perfume. 

Find vintage Valentino Garavani evening dresses, handbags and other items on 1stDibs now.

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Designer: Valentino Garavani
Valentino 1980 / 1990s Gold Chain Logo Key Ring with Tag
By Valentino Garavani
Located in New York, NY
A lovely vintage Valentino gold plate key ring with logo dog tag charm. The tag is rectangular with curved ends in shape. The Valentino logo is cut out of the metal. The tag or charm...
Category

1990s Italian Valentino Garavani Ephemera

Valentino 1980 / 1990s Gold Chain Logo Key Ring with Tag
By Valentino Garavani
Located in New York, NY
A lovely vintage Valentino gold plate key ring with logo dog tag charm. The tag is rectangular with curved ends in shape. The Valentino logo is cut out of the metal. The tag or charm...
Category

1990s Italian Valentino Garavani Ephemera

Valentino 1980 / 1990s Gold Chain Logo Key Ring with Tag
By Valentino Garavani
Located in New York, NY
A lovely vintage Valentino gold plate key ring with logo dog tag charm. The tag is rectangular with curved ends in shape. The Valentino logo is cut out of the metal. The tag or charm...
Category

1990s Italian Valentino Garavani Ephemera

Valentino 1980 / 1990s Gold Chain Logo Key Ring with Tag
By Valentino Garavani
Located in New York, NY
A lovely vintage Valentino gold plate key ring with logo dog tag charm. The tag is rectangular with curved ends in shape. The Valentino logo is cut out of the metal. The tag or charm...
Category

1990s Italian Valentino Garavani Ephemera

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Valentino Garavani ephemera for sale on 1stDibs.

Find an extraordinary range of authentic Valentino Garavani ephemera available on 1stDibs. Customers who are interested in this designer might also find the work of Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, and Jeremy Scott appealing. On 1stDibs, find haute couture, vintage and designer Valentino Garavani ephemera from top boutiques around the world. Valentino Garavani ephemera prices can differ depending upon time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $180 and tops out at $180, while the average work can sell for $180.
Questions About Valentino Garavani Ephemera
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024
    No, Valentino and Valentino Garavani are not exactly the same. Valentino is the name of an Italian luxury fashion house. The maker offers both couture and ready-to-wear apparel and accessories under the Valentino label. Valentino Garavani is a diffusion brand offered by Valentino. Its focus is mostly on shoes, handbags and small leather goods. Shop a variety of Valentino apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Valentino Garavani is known mononymously as Valentino. He is the Italian fashion designer and founder of Valentino, a high-fashion luxury brand which makes haute couture and ready-to-wear fashions. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Valentino pieces from some of the world’s top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertJune 12, 2024
    The difference between Valentino Garavani and Mario Valentino is that they are two distinct designers who are not affiliated with each other. Valentino Garavani founded the Italian luxury fashion house of Valentino in Rome in 1960 with his longtime professional and personal partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Mario Valentino established his eponymous brand, Mario Valentino, in Naples, Italy, in 1952.

    Find vintage Valentino evening dressesskirts and other clothing for sale on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    There are a few tell-tale signs you can look for to determine whether your Valentino handbag is real or fake. Authentic Valentino purses will have the same print in the logo as the rivet color, silver with silver and gold with gold. The inner logo inside of the bag will be centered on a red patch and all four sides will be sewn down. Newer bags will also have a serial number that is often found in an inner pocket. Shop a collection of authentic Valentino purses from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.

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