Valentino

Breakthrough in Florence (1962–1969)

Valentino's international debut took place in 1962 in Florence, then the Italian fashion capital. Former first lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy, had seen Gloria Schiff—the twin sister of the Rome-based fashion editor of American Vogue and Valentino's friend Consuelo Crespi—wearing a two-piece ensemble in black organza at a gathering in 1964. It made such an impression that Kennedy contacted Schiff to learn the name of the ensemble's designer: Valentino. In September 1964, Valentino was in the United States to present a collection of his work at a charity ball at the Waldorf-Astoria New York. Kennedy wanted to view the collection but could not attend the event, so Valentino decided to send a model, sales representative, and a selection of key pieces from his collection to Kennedy's apartment on Fifth Avenue. Kennedy ordered six of his haute couture dresses, all in black-and-white, and wore them during her year of mourning following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. From then on, she became a devoted client and friend of Valentino. Valentino later designed the white gown worn by Kennedy at her wedding to Greek business magnate Aristotle Onassis. In 1966, he moved his shows from Florence to Rome, where the following year he produced an all-white collection that became famous for the "V" logo he designed. His all-white couture collection of 1968 set him "solidly in the firmature of Italian design", described by Vogue as "the talk of Europe". He was the first Italian designer to feature in the Paris haute couture scene.

Switch to retro styles and international fame (1970–1979)

Throughout the 1970s, Valentino's womenswear for both couture and ready-to-wear generally followed the trends of the time, opening the decade with an emphasis on midi-skirts worn over miniskirts; fitted, knee-high boots; trousers; and foreign looks. In 1971, he paired more brightly colored midis and knee-length skirts with that year's vogue for hot pants, also continuing to show trousers like culottes and knickers with the gently flared standard trouser of the time. He was noted for his tailored clothes. The 1940s revival was his focus for a time, and Valentino showed platform shoes, padded shoulders, and knee-length skirts, all along with occasional forays into 1930s and 1950s styles, kept modern by an emphasis on pants.

In 1972, he started the year favoring trousers but ended it showing only skirts, including being one of the only designers to present day dresses in a period dominated by separates. He endorsed the favored full sleeves and layering that were seen on many runways and continued to move away from his trademark monotone or bicolor palette—often cream or red. A knee-length, square-shouldered 1940s revival was prevalent again in 1973, continuing with bright prints, including a Bakst influence. During this era, his evening styles were often ruffled and sometimes had asymmetric hems, other times a single, barely discernible letter on a belt or scarf.

The mid-1970s move toward fuller peasant silhouettes was seen in Valentino's work somewhat—dirndl skirts, off-the-shoulder flounces, petticoats, blousons, shawls, ponchos, and layering—but he deemphasized the look's characteristic boots and was sometimes criticized for including styles that were too heavily constructed and stiff in this period of minimal construction and flowing shapes, as well as for emphasizing conspicuous-consumption wealth projection during the more egalitarian atmosphere of the time. He then returned to his serviceable presentation of monochrome and bicolor garment groupings.

With the Fall 1978 move towards big shoulders, formal suits, and a more conspicuous consumption, mid–20th century retro style, Valentino presented shapes that echoed the big shoulders of the 1930s and adopted the seductive styles being favored by designers in narrow, slit skirts and black bras worn on their own under padded-shoulder jackets. Along with many other designers, he continued to show this style the following year in stiffly structured, broad-shouldered jackets and dresses presented with retro accessories such as hats, gloves, and cinch belts. This padded-shoulder, high-glamour style would continue to dominate fashion into the 1980s and bring Valentino unprecedented fame. Throughout the 1970s, Valentino spent considerable time in New York City, where his presence was embraced by society personalities such as Vogue's editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland and the art icon Andy Warhol.

Cultural prominence and acclaim (1980–1989)

Valentino is one of the favorite designers of actress Joan Collins, famous as one of the stars of the popular U.S. television show Dynasty (1981–1989), bringing the designer additional visibility and name recognition among the public. The era's conspicuous consumption, 1940s and 1950s–inspired ballgowns, cocktail dresses, and broad-shouldered, sharply tailored suits were taken up with aplomb by Valentino, whose style at the time was similar to that of Givenchy and Oscar de la Renta.

A few themes remained constant throughout his eighties collections: his familiar color groupings; his penchant for blatant displays of luxury, wealth, and opulence; broad shoulder padding; and a more comfortable cut than he was showing at the start of the big-shoulder era at the end of the 1970s. He continued to show his ready-to-wear collections in Paris and his couture collections in Rome. From 1983 to 1985, Valentino contributed a Valentino Edition to the Continental line of U.S. carmaker Lincoln. The uniforms worn by Italian athletes at the 1984 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, were designed by Valentino. In 1986, Vogue reported that Valentino was the largest Italian fashion exporter, with international sales of US$385 million.

In the first half of the 1980s, he mostly followed the short, narrow skirt line with broad-shouldered tops also followed by Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro, and others, but also presented longer, looser looks, the chemise dresses of the era, and a variety of pant shapes. During the mid-1980s, the fashion press and buyers often rated him higher than other Paris designers, ranking him with Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. He felt confident enough with this elevated stature that, in 1985, he added his moniker to a line of designer jeans. Like other designers, he showed a variety of miniskirts throughout the eighties among his other lengths and garments, and he joined the rest of the fashion world in 1987–88 in showing almost exclusively mini lengths for two seasons and then followed his colleagues by the end of 1988 in retreating from an exclusive mini-length focus.

Accademia Valentino (1990–1997)

1990 marked the opening of the Accademia Valentino, designed by architect Tommaso Ziffer, a cultural space located near Valentino's atelier in Rome for the presentation of art exhibitions. The next year—encouraged by their friend Elizabeth Taylor—Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti created L.I.F.E., an association for the support of HIV/AIDS–related patients, which benefitted from the activities of the Accademia Valentino. Throughout the 1990s, his work was seen as the antithesis of the dominant grunge trend, while becoming a staple of the rising celebrity culture.

Sale of company and retirement (1998–2008)

In 1998, Valentino and his partner Giammetti sold the company for approximately US$300 million to HdP, an Italian conglomerate controlled, in part, by Gianni Agnelli. In 2002, Valentino S.p.A.—with revenues of more than $180 million—was sold by HdP to Milan-based textiles giant Marzotto Group for $210 million, including lucrative deals for Valentino and Giammetti. The brand was owned by private equity group Permira from 2007 onwards, which had acquired the brand from the Marzotto Group for $3.5 billion. It was later sold to the Qatari royal family for €700 million through an investment vehicle called Mayhoola for Investments.

On 4 September 2007, Valentino announced that he would retire fully in January 2008 from the world stage after his final haute couture show in Paris. In October, he delivered his last women's ready-to-wear show in Paris, where he received a standing ovation. His last haute couture show was presented in Paris at the Musée Rodin on 23 January 2008. The show was somewhat marred by his criticism of fellow Italian design duo Dolce & Gabbana and the death of Australian actor Heath Ledger, although he received a five-minute standing ovation from an audience that included hundreds of notable names from all areas of show business. Many models returned to attend Valentino's last haute couture show; the audience included Eva Herzigová, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Nadja Auermann, Karolína Kurková, and Karen Mulder.

In September 2007, Valentino decided to depart his role as creative director. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were at that point first nominated as creative directors of all accessories lines. before Valentino returned to fulfill his roles in 2009 after the sacking of Alessandra Facchinetti in a public feud with Valentino and Giammetti. In July 2016, Piccioli assumed the role as Chiuri departed. In March 2024, it was announced that Alessandro Michele would take over as creative director following his departure from Gucci.

Valentino remained always close to his mother, Teresa, who moved from Voghera to Rome to assist with the business. In Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008), Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti recount meeting on 31 July 1960 on Via Veneto. They remained life partners for more than 65 years, although their romantic relationship ended in 1972. According to Giammetti's private memoirs, Valentino met 19‑year‑old Carlos Souza at the Hippopotamus Club in Rio de Janeiro in 1973, and the two dated until Souza married Brazilian socialite Charlene Shorto in 1983. Valentino and Giammetti later became godfathers to the couple's sons. Carlos and Charlene continued to work in public relations for Maison Valentino after their divorce in 1990, and maintained a close relationship with Valentino and Giammetti thereafter.

According to Giammetti's book Private, Valentino met his partner Bruce Hoeksema in the early 1980s. Hoeksema began as a model for the house before later becoming its vice‑president. In a 2007 interview, Valentino said that he had been in love once with a woman, Italian actress Marilù Tolo, to whom he unsuccessfully proposed in the early 1960s. Valentino and Tolo remained good friends.

Valentino and Giammetti's lifestyle had been considered flamboyant. John Fairchild, editor-at-large at Women's Wear Daily and W, told Vanity Fair,

Valentino and Giancarlo are the kings of high living. Every other designer looks and says, "How do they live the way they do?" I don't think they made the money that Valentino and Giancarlo did, because Giancarlo knows how to make money. If they did, they didn't spend the money like Valentino. No other designer ever did. When the terrorism first started in Rome – the period when the Red Brigades were kidnapping people – Valentino was riding around in a bulletproof Mercedes. And do you know what colour the Mercedes was? Red. My God, I thought, you must want to get blown up.

Valentino adored dogs to the point that he once named a second line of clothing after his late pug Oliver; he owned six pugs. When travelling on his 14-seat Challenger jet, Valentino and his entourage went to the airport in three cars: one for the staff and luggage, one for five of the pugs, and one for Giammetti, Valentino, and the pug Maude, who always travelled with Valentino.