I am like a freight train. Working on the details, twisting them and playing with them over the years, but always staying on the same track.
- Valentino Garavani.
Early Life :
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born on May 11, 1932 Voghera, province of Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. His father was Mauro Garavani and mother Teresa de Biaggi. His interest in fashion began at a very early age. He worked as an apprentice to his aunt Rosa and local designer Ernestina Salvadeo. He studied French and Fashion design at Milan's Accademia dell'Arte.
Fashion Career :
Valentino then moved to Paris to pursue his dream of becoming a fashion designer. There he studied at Ecole des Beaux - Arts and Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.
He joined as apprentice to Jacques Fath, and after that at Balenciaga. You would have heard of the competition of fashion design run by International Wool Secretariat, which was won by fashion legends Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. Valentino also won that award which led to a job at French Couture house of Jean Desses. There he helped countess Jacqueline de Ribes, to sketch her dress ideas. In 1957, Guy Laroche set up his own fashion house and Valentino worked for 2 years there.
In 1959, after discussion with his parents, Valentino returned with all his experience to set up a fashion house in Rome gaining financial assistance from his father. He opened his own fashion house in 1960, on Rome's Via Condotti. His premise was very grand and resembled what Valentino had seen in Paris. For his first show models flew in from Paris. Elizabeth Taylor, who was in Rome shooting 'Cleopatra' at the time, spotted Valentino's work and ordered for a white dress. In his initial stage as a designer, Valentino quickly gained recognition for his red dresses, a particular shade of red known as "Valentino Red".
On July 31, same year, he met Giancarlo Giammetti who was his classmate in second year of architecture school. Giammetti became his business as well as life partner. When Giammetti joined the business, it was not in a good condition. He had to put a lot of capital. Valentino's first international debut took place in Florence in 1962.
In the year 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy saw Gloria Schiff, sister of fashion editor of american 'Vogue' in a party. She was impressed with the dress Gloria wore. She was wearing a two piece ensemble in black organza. Kennedy immediately took the details of Valentino and ordered six of his haute couture dresses, all in black and white. International personalities soon became his clients like Belgian Queen Paola, Princess Margaret of England and Audrey Hepburn. Valentino designed many dresses for Kennedy, including a dress she wore to her husband's funeral in 1963 and also the dress she wore for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis in 1968.
His used red for most of his collections but 1967 collection is of entirely white, ivory and beige clothes. He opened his first ever ready-to-wear shop in Milan in 1969. Next year he opened stores in Rome and New York. Jacqueline Kennedy remained as one of his devoted customer and a good friend as well. He enjoyed successful years then and in the year 1998, he and Giammetti sold the company to Italian Conglomerate, HdP for $300 million but Valentino remained as a creative director. In 2002, HdP sold Valentino's brand to Marzotto Apparel, a Milan based textile giant for $210 million. Valentino announced in 2007, that he would retire January 2008. His last couture show was presented in Paris at the Musee Rodin on 23 January, 2008.
