Valentino Garavani, one of the last great designers of this century, passed away Jan. 19, leaving us fashion enthusiasts reflecting on the impact he had on the fashion industry.
Garavani was known for being akin to Italian royalty. He valued aesthetics, femininity and chicness in all aspects of life, not only in his designs but in his way of life. He owned palaces like his beautiful 16th-century Château de Wideville in Davron-Crespieres, set on 120 hectares near Paris, a luxurious, winter retreat in Gstaad, Switzerland, known as the Chalet Gifferhorn, five Picasso paintings stored in the principal salon of his 19th century townhouse in London, a villa in Capri, a Park Avenue penthouse in New York and a 151 feet long super yacht, valued at more than 15 million dollars.
Before fame, Garavani was simply a child born with a love and passion for all things beautiful and fashionable, which is why, at the age of only 17, he decided to move from his small town in Northern Italy to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, a widely renowned classical arts school which is alma mater to thousands of monumental artists including Hubert de Givenchy. Garavani later continued his studies at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, and, after completing his studies, he went on to work at the ateliers of Balenciaga, Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche.
Garavani was an instant success, only a few years after opening his very own atelier in 1959 back home in Rome, he debuted his first haute couture collection at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence catching the attention of not only Hollywood’s biggest stars like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, but also aristocrats like Princess Diana and even America’s most fashionable first lady, Jackie Kennedy. Garavani’s designs attracted class and glamour. He knew seduction could be elegant and that there is power in femininity. His designs became synonymous with sophistication, embroidery, clean lines and great use of color. I mean, who hasn’t heard about the fiery and elegant Valentino Red? A shade so iconic it has its own Pantone.
Garavani quickly climbed to the top, becoming one of the world’s most respected elites, earning nicknames like “The Emperor of Fashion” and “The Sheik of Chic.”In 2005, the then mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, was quoted by The New Yorker saying, “In Italy, there is the Pope- and there is Valentino.”
Garavani became not only a designer for high society, but high society itself. Creating some of the most iconic looks in fashion history like Jackie Kennedy’s lace wedding dress in 1968, Princess Diana’s iconic burgundy look back in 1992 or Sophia Loren’s 1991 opulent, sequin black gown for the Oscars. It is no doubt that he shaped haute couture into what it is today. Valentino Garavani’s legacy of elegance and beauty will forever be remembered as one of the greatest.
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