Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, famous for his red dresses, is the founder and designer of Valentino, one of the most important clothing brands in the world and in Italy.
The designer, whose full name is Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, was born in 1932 in the town of Voghera, Italy. Valentino, who went to Paris at the age of 17 and entered the fashion world, had his own style even then. After completing his education at Ecolé Des Beaux-Arts, he apprenticed under Jean Dessès, devoting almost every moment to drawing. Later, he worked with his close friend Guy Laroche for about five years. In 1960, he met Giancarlo Giammetti and took action for his own brand.
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (born 11 May 1932), known mononymously as Valentino, is an Italian fashion designer, the founder of the Valentino brand and company. His main lines include Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, and R.E.D. Valentino.
He made his first collection in his fashion life with Palazzo Pitti. In 1962, Valentino's international exhibition was held in Florence, Italy's fashion capital of the time. When the calendar showed 1965, Valentino Garavani proved himself in haute couture design in Italy. He became known for his bright, red dresses, known as “Valentino red.”
In 1967, he was awarded the "Neiman Marcus Fashion Award", the equivalent of an Oscar in the fashion industry. He worked with many celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Gloria Guinness.
In 1998, Valentino Garavani and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti sold the company for $300 million.
Valentino Garavani, who announced his retirement in 2007, exhibited his last collection at the Rodin Museum in Paris on January 23, 2008. For this latest show, many supermodels took part in the fashion show, including Eva Herzigova, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Nadja Auermann, Carolina Kurkova, and Karen Mulder.
On July 6, 2006, French President Jacques Chirac awarded Valentino the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.
Valentino Garavani met his current boyfriend Bruce Hoeksema in the early 1980s.
Dogs Are More Valuable Than Anything
If you have a brief knowledge of Valentino Garavani, you know how fond he is of his pug dogs. Garavani, who, along with his passion for the letter "M", does not move without his 6 dogs named Maggie, Monty, Milton, Margot, Molly, and Maude, said in his documentary that his dogs, not his collections, are more important than anything else.
Valentino Garavani is Actually a Night Person
Although he had a very disciplined life, Valentino's sleeping pattern was the exact opposite. The designer, who likes to make important phone calls at night, leaves his relaxing activities such as reading a book or watching television late and almost stays up until the morning.