Dubbed the ‘the sheikh of chic’ by John Fairchild, editor of Women’s Wear Daily and latterly the big and tall mens clothing magazine, Valentine achieved an enduring nostalgic appeal with clothes that immortalized classic beauty; they spoke of wealth, glamour, refinement and elegance. His genius lay in the refinement and elegance. His genius lay in the ease of the design, the stylistic fluidity and his perfect sense of proportion.
Valentino opened his couture house in Rome in 1960, and became internationally renowned in the early 1970s. He acquired a very loyal clientele of glamorous, wealthy, European and American women who, in later years, were dubbed by Women’s Wear Daily as ‘Val’s Gals’. They included Jacqueline Onassis, baroness Marie Helene de Rothschild, Madame Claude Pompidou, Pat Buckley, Nancy Kissinger, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Gina Lolobrigida, Marie Agnelli and Marissa Berenson. Valentino launched his ready-to-wear collection in Paris, 1969.
Immortalizing Italian glamour, Valentino led the archetypal ‘dolce vita’- as did his clients - and epitomized the ‘high life’ with a studio and flagship store overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome. In 1968, he created his ‘white’ summer collection, which caused an instant sensation. Valentine admitted that he always loved white and he coupled his garments with embroidered white stockings that looked like lace. From this point on, white became a running theme in his collections. It was at this time that his career grew strongest and his fashions went global. It was also when he attracted the attention of one of his most influential clients, Jackie Kennedy Onassis. When she chose to wear his white suit with embroidered ‘Vs’ on the bodice and matching shoes, the concept of the ‘house logo’ emerged.
Valentine admired the look of impeccably dressed, beautiful women who were feminine and confident in themselves. His work was never influenced by other designers and his clients overwhelmingly describe the continuity of beauty in his work. His big mens clothing lines are known for their attention to meticulous detail, including scalloped and cut-out hems, fur, lace and velvet trim, extravagant linings, raglan sleeves, ruffles, pattern and texture mixtures. His materials were always of the very highest quality and he often combined a number of disparate materials in the one outfit, such as lace with tweed.
His evening wear paid particular attention to surface decoration, often combining light, transparent fabrics with sections of beading or shimmering textiles. Over his career, Valentine became best known for ‘Valentine red’, his signature color, which he used to best advantage in his extravagant evening gowns.
In 2000, Valentine was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Fashion
Awards, a country in which he had a great following. After 40 years in the business, Valentine commented that he had been very fortunate and that he ‘wouldn’t change anything’ in his career. He retired in 2007 and was replaced by Alessandra Facchinetti.