Valentino


A black and white photo of a young Valentino squatting in front of a female dress form, draping white fabric on it.
Valentino Garavani, Rome 1959.Credit…Reporters Associati & Archivi/Mondadori 

Valentino Garavani, the Italian designer who died on Monday at 93, believed in the power of beauty and la dolce vita as if it were a religion and he its greatest prophet. For decades he designed paeans to the allure of red and the carefully placed ruffle. Through periods of power dressing and grunge he never lost his faith. Instead, he spread the word from Rome to Paris and beyond, and generations of women bought in — literally — to the belief that by enhancing the outside, you also enhanced the inside.

Acolytes included Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana and Julia Roberts. Jennifer Lopez wore Valentino to one of her weddings, and so did Nicky Hilton. Because of his perma-tan and his pugs, Mr. Garavani, known generally as Valentino, was as recognizable as the celebrities he dressed. He and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti (first in life, then in business), lived as graciously as his clients, with multiple homes, a yacht and a ski chalet. For him, decoration was a delight and a responsibility, and he founded his kingdom on the idea that it would never go out of fashion.

ImageA black and white photo of Valentino wearing a light colored trench coat walking away from an airplane with two women on either side.
Valentino leaving Ciampino Airport in Rome with two models in 1959.Credit…Reporters Associati & Archivi/Mondadori Portfolio, via Getty images

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A black and white photo of Valentino crouched on the ground holding a tulle train of a model standing next to him. The model is wearing a gown with tulle layers and black shoes, looking down at Valentino who is smiling up at her.
Valentino, in 1956, fitting one of his dresses on the Italian actress Silvana Pampanini.Credit…Franco Vitale/Reporters Associati & Archivie, via Getty Images
 A black and white portrait of Valentino wearing a jacket, white shirt and stripped tie looking to the left with his mouth slightly open.
Valentino, in 1964.Credit…The New York Times

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A black and white photo of three people walking through the airport each holding bags and jackets. Valentino is in the middle wearing sunglasses. To his left is Nancy Sotto Corona in a knee-length shift dress, and to his right is Giancarlo Giammetti.
Valentino, center, arriving at John F. Kennedy Airport in 1966 with Nancy Sotto Corona, his salon director, and Giancarlo Giammetti, his business partner and closest associate.Credit…Meyer Liebowitz/The New York Times

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Jacqueline Kennedy wearing a white high neck dress with scalloped lace and buttons on a sleeve. She’s holding hands with Aristotle Onassis and they’re walking with a crowd behind them, someone is holding an umbrella over her head.
Aristotle Onassis and his new wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, wearing the cream lace dress Valentino made for her, with her daughter, Caroline, after their wedding in Greece in October 1968.Credit…Jim Pringle/Associated Press

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A black and white photo of three people closely walking down a busy street. Valentino is on the second from right, looking back toward the camera waving wearing a patterned jacket and glasses.
Valentino, right, with Mr. Giammetti and the model Thea strolling along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.Credit…Fairchild Archive/WWD, via Getty Images

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A black and white photo of Valentino wearing a dark jacket, button up shirt with large collar and an ascot. He’s flanked by two women walking through a seated crowd around them.
Valentino making an entrance with two models at the end of a fashion show at Lord & Taylor in March 1968.Credit…William E. Sauro/The New York Times Valentino and a young Brooke Shields walking down the center of a runway surrounded by guests. She’s wearing a ruffled light pink dress and pointing at someone off camera.
In January 1981, Brooke Shields walked the runway at Valentino’s haute couture show in Rome. Ms. Shields, here with Valentino, closed the show in a ruffled pink gown.Credit…Vittoriano Rastelli/Corbis, via Getty Images

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A black and white photo of Valentino outside in grass surrounded by seven black pug dogs.
Valentino in 1978 with his many pug dogs on the grounds of his villa outside Rome.Credit…Fairchild Archive/Penske Media, via Getty Images

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A black and white photo of four models wearing slacks with fringe hanging from the waist, tops, and earrings with circles. Each model is wearing a tall hat with a ribbon around the brim.
Looks from the Valentino spring 1983 runway show. Credit…Guy Marineau/Penske Media, via Getty Images

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Iman standing on a runway with her arms crossed wearing a low back red gown looking over her left shoulder. Valentino is to her right with his hands in pockets looking at her.
Valentino poses with Iman in a couture evening gown in Valentino red from his fall 1984 collection.Credit…Guy Marineau/Penske Media, via Getty Images

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A black and white photo of Valentino standing next to Sophia Loren. They are taling to another person and they’re all smiling.
Valentino and Mr. Giammetti with Sophia Loren at the opening of the exhibition, “Valentino: 30 Years of Magic,” at the Seventh Regiment Armory in New York in October 1992.Credit…Bill Cunningham/The New York Times

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A black and white photo of Valentino smiling and clapping in the air backstage at a fashion show. He's wearing a stripped suit.
The designer taking a bow at the finale of a show.Credit…Wade Watson/Penske Media, via Getty Images

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Valentino with his arm around Claudia Schiffer's waist. They're smiling and looking at each other.
With Claudia Schiffer at the Valentino Parade in Paris in March 1994.Credit…Ron Davis/Getty Images

 

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A black and white photo of seven models walking down a runway in tailored men’s wear outfits.
Valentino’s spring 1994 men’s collection highlighted classic tailoring with a relaxed fit.Credit…Fairchild Archive/Penske Media, via Getty Images

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Giancarlo Giammetti looking at a book he's holding open with Valentino standing to his right pointing in the book.
With Mr. Giammetti in Rome, in September 2000. Credit…Gianni Giansanti/Gamma-Rapho, via Getty Images

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Sharon Stone wearing a champagne gown waving while surrounded by men in tuxedos. Valentino is standing to the left of her with his hands behind his back wearing a tuxedo, smiling.
Valentino with Sharon Stone at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1995.Credit…Stephane Cardinale/Sygma, via Getty Images

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Julia Roberts standing in front of an oscars statue waving holding an oscar. She's wearing a black sleeveless gown with a white ribbon "v" shape ribbon straps that comes together to create a single line down the front of the middle of the gown.
Julia Roberts in the Valentino gown she wore when she won an Oscar for her role in “Erin Brockovich” in 2001. It was a custom gown from the designer’s archive, dating to 1982.Credit…Getty/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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Cate Blanchett walking on the Oscars red carpet wearing a butter colored one shoulder gown with a crimson sash and matching handbag. She's looking off to the side smiling.
When she won an Oscar for best supporting actress for “The Aviator” in 2005, Cate Blanchett wore a one-shoulder silk taffeta gown by Valentino.Credit…Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

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Valentino standing tall with his arms by his sides on a reflective runway. Models are standing behind him clapping.
Valentino presented his final women’s ready-to-wear show, the spring 2008 collection, in Paris in October 2007.Credit…Toni Anne Barson/WireImage

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Queen Elizabeth II wearing a spearmint gown and white gloves, while Valentino shakes her hand and bows.
Valentino meeting Queen Elizabeth II at a dinner to honor the president of Italy during his state visit to Britain in March 2005.Credit…Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA, via Getty Images

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Anne Hathaway standing on a red carpet wearing a transparent black gown with sporadic black sequin lines horizontally. She has short bleached blond hair. Standing next to her is Valentino wearing a tuxedo.
Valentino with Anne Hathaway at the Met Gala in May 2013. She wore a sheer, black Valentino creation with feather accents from 1992.Credit…Jamie Mccarthy

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A group of people smiling posing for a flashy photo at a party. Valentino is in the middle with his arms crossed.
Mr. Giammetti; Marco Bizzarri, the former president of Gucci; Valentino; Alessandro Michele, then the creative director of Gucci; and Lana Del Rey at a Fashion Awards party in London in December 2018. Credit…Dave Benett/Getty Images

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Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti standing next to each other in suits.
Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti at a Karl Lagerfeld tribute at the Grand Palais in Paris in June 2019.Credit…Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

 


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