Designer of the day: Valentino

About the designer: Valentino Garavani is one of the most sought after designers in the world, he is a household name, and has changed the fashion industry. At the young age of 8, he was captivated by fashion and had the eye for perfectly tailored blazers, and intricate design. In an interview he says "I used to go to the cinema with my sister and her fiancé to see those beautiful stars, and this made me start to think about design and fashion.". By the age of 12, he was sketching designs on his schoolbooks. After Valentino finished high school, he announced he wanted to be a couturier. His parents sent him to Milan and he studied preliminary courses in fashion design. He visited Barcelona to see an Opera and saw a women in a red velvet dress, it made an impact on him, Valentino says  “She was unique, isolated, fiery—the perfect heroine, I told myself that if I were ever going to become a designer, I would do lots of red.”. At 17, he set off to France and studied at École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture (Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld also attended this school.) In 1951, Valentino began contracting the major fashion houses for apprenticeship, Balenciaga and Jacques Fath rejected him, and he began sketching for Jean Dessès. Nine years  later, he moved back to Italy and his father hired Valentino a business associate to help him. In 1961, he receives his first client, Elizabeth Taylor, and in 63' he gets his dress is featured on the cover of Vogue. His designs have been worn by some of the most iconic women in America: Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy, Diana, Princess of Wales and many other fabulous ladies. Valentino truly worked for his success, and is not just a fashion designer, but a genius. His work is magnificent, and you can see the dedication and love that is poured into every piece he has designed. Valentino is a legend, and is timeless. For fourty-five years, Valentino was the head of his brand and in 2007, he retired and sold the brand. At his last ready-to-wear show, he said  “I wanted to make this collection happy. I want you to be happy and I want you to never forget Valentino.”

Why I chose this designer: Simple, he is timeless, he takes risks, he knows what women want and he knows how they want to feel in his designs. I obviously admire him, he has paved the way for so many talented designers. Without Valentino, would lace be as popular as it is today? Think of how many people he has inspired, he is influential. 

 

"A woman with taste. She must know what she wants, because it’s very frustrating for me if somebody says, “Listen, I’ll let you do what you want; I’m there like a piece of glass and you have to do something nice for me.” I think it’s better if a woman comes and she discusses with you and she has personality so you are more attracted to her to make clothes. This is the kind of woman I love."  -Valentino, on who 'is the perfect Valentino woman'

Valentino Garavani virtual museum:

I found a virtual tour of the museum y'all! 

Valentino original designs:

The finale of his last show

Valentino designs today: 

XOXO, -T