An Oral History of Valentino Garavani’s Fashion Empire

“I always wanted to make women beautiful,” Valentino Garavani as soon as stated. He indubitably accomplished that purpose, dressing everybody from Nan Kemper and Nancy Reagan to Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez in ultra-feminine robes, ceaselessly lacy, pink, or floral—or all 3 without delay. Born in Rome within the 1930s, Valentino opened his first atelier in 1957 and temporarily turned into high-society’s clothier of selection for garments with Rococo-level grandeur.

Now 93, Valentino retired just about twenty years in the past. This previous April, Alessandro Michele—previously of Gucci—was once appointed the 5th ever inventive director of the emblem, bringing a extra maximalist, theatrical edge to the maison. That makes the brand new version of Taschen’s Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic particularly well timed. More than only a shiny coffee-table guide, it’s a complete account of Valentino, each the person and the emblem.

Alongside beautiful illustrations and pictures, there are essays via John Fairchild, Graydon Carter, and Ingrid Sischy, in addition to outdated New York Post articles about Valentino and André Leon Talley’s 1970s WWD dispatches concerning the clothier’s events. The anchor is an oral historical past with interviews accrued and edited via Matt Tyrnauer (the director of Valentino: The Last Emperor) and journalist Matt Pressman. In an excerpt from it, Valentino’s muses, unswerving shoppers, and fellow designers provide an explanation for how Valentino modified model.

Karl Lagerfeld, clothier: Valentino created his model area out of little or no. Because, I imply, Roman couture didn’t have the status of Paris couture, but it surely was once no longer that unhealthy within the ’50s. There had been properties that had been fairly widely recognized, like Carosa, and Simonetta and Forquet—other people like this. I don’t even know what took place to them. But Valentino’s attire had been higher. He had Paris dressmaking revel in, which was once very, crucial. Because he knew that Italian workrooms have just right craftsmanship, however you need to train them do it correctly. He gave somewhat twist to Roman couture, which have been somewhat dowdy ahead of.

Gloria Schiff, socialite, senior model editor, Vogue, 1963–71: I first met Valentino and [the brand’s co-founder] Giancarlo Giammetti, I feel, within the past due ’50s. Their garments had been actually so fantastic. You know, everyone in Paris was once doing very built garments, like Balenciaga, Givenchy. Everything was once formed and modeled, and tight and constricted. Valentino was once the primary to do garments that actually enhanced a lady and moved along with her—made her glance attractive, provocative and inviting. And I feel that was once his nice contribution to model.

John Fairchild, former editor and writer of W and WWD: Valentino makes almost definitely, probably the most stunning night attire on the earth. He’s making garments that ladies need to put on, to be well-dressed and female. He by no means strays over the border to the peculiar. They’re no longer conservative, however they’re simply flattering. With Valentino you could by no means pop out of a suite and say, “Oh, my God! That is really odd and strange, and trashy and this or that.” You’d pop out announcing, “Oh, my God—those are clothes that women want to wear.”

Carolina Herrera, clothier: Valentino is an actual clothier. All his garments that you simply see at the runway you’ll put on. And model is ready satisfied ladies. Did he affect me when I used to be beginning out? Maybe, sure. Because he doesn’t do the rest loopy and his garments are vintage. At one level, Valentino was once worn greater than every other clothier on the earth.

Donatella Versace, clothier: Like all true model designers, Valentino has a glance, a method, this is all his personal. And like any actually nice model designers, he has caught to his taste through the years, irrespective of the adjustments in traits. This is the mark of a clothier who actually believes in what he’s doing and is hooked in to his paintings—it was once true of my brother Gianni and it’s indubitably true of Valentino.

Of path there were occasions when he gave the impression at odds with side road model, like right through the punk and grunge years, however he at all times caught to his weapons and weathered the hurricane. This is what a clothier will have to do—evolve via all approach, however admire the DNA you may have created. And finally high quality will win out: believe that lately, those that have come from side road taste, whether or not males or ladies—just like the rap neighborhood—after they change into a success, they ceaselessly aspire to put on Valentino.

Oscar de l. a. Renta, clothier: There are two various kinds of clothier. There are designers that make a large splash for a few seasons; they mark a duration of favor in an overly sturdy means after which disappear. And then there are the ones which are in a position to journey the crest and keep on most sensible of it, and who’ve the endurance and the creativity to head in conjunction with the days. Understand what your contribution is, who your shopper is, and stay making stunning garments. Which is what he has been doing all alongside. Valentino has a way of figuring out good looks and figuring out femininity. His super consistency over time at all times saved him on most sensible.

Stella McCartney, clothier: I feel that Valentino at all times makes ladies glance shocking. He doesn’t appear to get it too flawed. I feel maximum designers get it flawed at some level. But he turns out to have a faultless report, actually, of simply retaining the entirety on the proper – no longer an excessive amount of, no longer too little. But it varies; and he pulls it off each and every time.

Gwyneth Paltrow, actress: With a Valentino get dressed you’re at all times going to get vintage good looks. The guy is an absolute grasp. Of path, there are designers who’re, type of, extra conceptual and possibly hipper. But with him that you simply’re at all times going to appear stunning. No one’s ever going to criticize somebody dressed in a Valentino get dressed, until they’re announcing, “Oh, God, she just looks perfect again in Valentino.”

He’s very old-school in his way. He thinks {that a} girl must glance stunning in a get dressed, and that’s the top of the tale; that model isn’t a spot for idea and artwork. He will get loopy with me if I’m dressed in a jacket with an unfinished seam, or the sleeve isn’t in the appropriate share. I imply, he is going nuts—it’s hysterical.

Amy Fine Collins, former particular correspondent, Vanity Fair: It is just about as arduous to ascertain model with out the House of Valentino as it’s tricky to image the Vatican with out the Pope. Valentino’s eye leads again to the mythic global of post-war couture and forward into the longer term. Across the many years, Valentino and Giammetti have remained true to their trust in female glamour, good looks and thriller. They worshipped ladies even at moments when ladies didn’t worship themselves. And whilst they have got stayed completely devoted to their beliefs and to their buddies, on the identical time they have got persisted to include recent concepts, out of doors influences and new other people. This is one secret in their longevity.

Valentino: I feel I’ve succeeded as a result of via a lot of these many years I used to be at all times taken with making stunning garments. Let’s fail to remember model. It is going in different route every so often: the grunge glance, the messy glance. I don’t care; I actually don’t care. I will not see ladies destroyed, no longer nicely combed or having a look abnormal. And makeup—silly makeup—and attire that make the frame glance ridiculous. It’s not that i am this sort of gentleman; It’s not that i am this sort of author. I need to make a girl who, when she’s dressed and arrives in some position, other people flip and say, “You look so sensational!” This is at all times what I did, what I actually sought after to succeed in always.

Anjelica Huston, actress: [Wearing Valentino] is like getting a super haircut. His garments would possibly seem like a whisper however they’re so in moderation concept out and built that they are able to conceal a myriad of ills. What he does is magic.

Claudia Schiffer, style: To have the ability to put on Valentino is each and every girl’s or girl’s dream come true. Because they’re probably the most glamorous, female and sublime attire that you’ll perhaps have. You can acknowledge a Valentino get dressed from afar. And there’s just one pink that handiest he has and nobody can ever replica. It is simply wonderful—while you put on one in every of his attire, somebody will in an instant say, “You don’t have to say what it is, I know [it’s Valentino].”

Nan Kempner, socialite: I first turned into a consumer of Valentino’s, I feel, the primary time he introduced his assortment to New York. I feel I used to be taken via Babe Paley. That has to were possibly past due ’60s, early ’70s. I bear in mind my first couture get dressed. It was once yellow muslin with panels down the facet. God, I want I nonetheless had that get dressed; it was once so lovely. And then there was once every other one who was once white taffeta and all of the subject material got here to 1 facet, and tied in a bow. Long-waisted, however fitted. Oh God, that was once an attractive get dressed.

Valentino has some way of dressing a lady that makes her really feel like she’s stepped into or out of fairyland. It’s roughly a super feeling—and it draws the fellas. There’s normally some difficult little reduce that no one notices.

The Valentino number-one hallmark, in my thoughts, is femininity. Valentino attire a lady as though he actually loves her. And he desires everyone else to like her, too. And he actually loves the get dressed he’s developing and he creates it from the interior out. This is actually introduction. This is not only taking a number of subject material and slapping it in combination. And the attire ultimate endlessly, as a result of they’re fantastically made, from stunning fabrics, glorious workmanship and abnormal conception. I imply, there’s no such factor as an outdated Valentino get dressed.

Tom Ford, clothier: If I had been a lady, I might purchase a huge a part of my night cloth wardrobe at Valentino. Something I like such a lot about Valentino is that, it doesn’t matter what he’s doing, he doesn’t lose sight of a lady’s frame. People used to invite me why my garments had been so attractive and why I used to be obsessive about intercourse. It wasn’t that I used to be obsessive about intercourse. It’s that I’ve at all times been obsessive about the frame and making the frame glance as stunning and engaging as it may possibly glance. And when you’re the usage of the frame as a template, then your garments are, robotically, sensual.

Valentino is aware of make a get dressed that appears easy while you’re dressed in it, however which in reality has a integrated construction and make stronger that makes the wearer really feel protected. He by no means loses sight of the truth that the purpose of garments – , in our global, as a result of we don’t put on them for cover from the weather—is to reinforce and decorate and make the wearer really feel extra assured and extra horny. That’s no longer a easy factor; and it’s type of a loss of life artwork.

An excerpt from the guide “Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic,” with interviews accrued and edited via Matt Tyrnauer and Matt Pressman, revealed via Taschen.© 2024 TASCHEN.