The Tamesis
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani – known simply and powerfully as Valentino – was born on May 11, 1932 in Voghera, a rather quiet place between Milan and Genoa. But by the time he died on January 19 at the age of 93, he had conquered the world of fashion and style, bringing a certain idea of beauty—luxury, powerful, glamorous, perfect, feminine—into everything he touched.
“I love beauty—it’s not my fault,” shrugs Valentino, who found a way to attract and seduce women in the fashion world (which was his only client when he was starting out, before he expanded his well-groomed network).
He studied French and fashion at the Accademia dell’Arte in Milan, then moved to Paris at the age of 17, where he attended the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture before becoming an apprentice in 1951 under the Athenian fashion designer Jean Dessès, who designed perfectly draped, brightly colored evening gowns for royalty and ladies of high society. Jacqueline, Countess of Ribeau, dressed with Dessès, and when Oleg Cassini invited her to design some gowns for him in Paris, she mentioned this to Dessès, telling the designer “I don’t know how to paint in a chic way”. Des was amused. “I have an Italian illustrator,” he told her, “who would be happy to draw for you during working hours and make a little extra money”—and the friendship between Valentino and Jacqueline was born.
when he is Chez Valentino also created a series of sumptuously draped and embroidered dresses – sketches only – as a fantasy project, including a blue chiffon day dress (much, much longer) and an evening gown hugged to the body embroidered with floral relief, with pink, yellow and brown chiffon hanging from the chest and down to the floor in back: the stuff of a Cinecitta star. (When the 30th anniversary party and art exhibition was held in 1992, Le Monde Come to Rome to celebrate with him. His extraordinary studio secretly recreated designs from these early sketches – Abidi del Sonnio (Dream Gowns) – they prove to be as mesmerizing when they come to life as they were when Valentino first dreamed them up. )
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor wore black taffeta and lace by Valentino, hair by Alexandre, and priceless diamonds and emeralds.Photo by Cecil Beaton, Fashion, January 15, 1972
When Dessès’s assistant Guy Laroche left to start his own fashion house, Valentino joined him for a few years before leaving to work briefly with the Russian-Georgian princess Irene Galitzine (Galitzine made court pajamas a popular element, blending them with gorgeous evening gowns). Valentino founded his own brand in 1959 with the support of his father and a family friend.
At this moment, someone walked into his life.
