Valentino
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.
| Average Sold Price |
| $994 |
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21st Century and Contemporary Valentino
21st Century and Contemporary Valentino
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1990s Italian Valentino
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Valentino
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21st Century and Contemporary French Valentino
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- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021No, Mario Valentino is not the same as Valentino — Mario Valentino was a Naples, Italy-born shoe designer who eventually expanded his offerings to include handbags, jackets and other apparel in the 1960s, while Valentino Garavani, who is mostly known simply as “Valentino,” is a fashion designer originally from Lombardy, Italy. Other than the Valentino line, the latter’s collections include Valentino Roma, R.E.D. Valentino and more.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Valentino 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.
- How old is Valentino?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Valentino, the Italian luxury brand, is 61 years old and was founded in 1960. Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavan, the founder of Valentino, is 89 years old and was born 1932. Valentino clothing and accessories are available directly through Valentino’s website or boutiques as well as through selected authorized sellers, such as 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022To determine whether your Valentino shoes are fake, first look at the box they came in. A genuine Valentino box has a linen texture with the brand name embossed in red. Check the stitching on the tag sewn into the interior of the shoe, which should be neat and even. The brand font is crisp, and the sole under the tag is flat, not puffed up. Genuine Valentino does have a serial number that’s the same color as the hardware, while a fake pair will typically have no serial number at all. Shop a collection of authentic Valentino footwear from trusted sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022There 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.