Valentino is considered as one of the most important and innovative designers in the world of fashion.

From his unforgettable runway show at Palazzo Pitti in 1962 to the Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on him by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2000, to the French Legion of Honor awarded to him by President Chirac, to the Superstar Award received in 2005 from Fashion Group International, his creative and entrepreneurial accomplishments encapsulate the very best that Italy has to offer, making his name a synonym for imagination and elegance, modernity and beauty.

Valentino was still a teenager when he left his hometown of Voghera for Paris to study fashion. In what was then the European capital of culture and unrivalled haute couture, he developed and refined his talent and taste working alongside Jean Desses and Guy Laroche.

In the early 1960s he moved to Rome to set up his first atelier. Those were the days of 'la dolce vita', with Hollywood stars in town making the movies that would subsequently become part of the history of that era.  Word started spreading about a brilliant new creator of fashion, and from there began the rise of Valentino.

For his unforgettable 1968 'white collection', Valentino invented the use of the monogram as a distinguishing decorative feature. The 'V' logo appeared on fabrics and accessories, forming buckles and clasps. It was the first in a string of ideas that would change the history of fashion.

The first thirty years of his career were celebrated in 1991 with a succession of prestigious events. 'Valentino. Thirty years of magic' was both the title of a monographic book and an exhibition bringing together over 300 of his garments.

During the closing ceremony of the 2002 winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, broadcast all round the world, it was Valentino who represented Italy and his country's traditional and rare ability to elevate creativity and craftsmanship to the highest possible levels with supreme elegance and taste.

The same year the Valentino brand was acquired by the Marzotto Group, one of the oldest and most highly regarded textile and clothing manufacturers in the world, forming a successful partnership that led, in 2005, to the debut of the Valentino name on the stock market, through the founding of the Valentino Fashion Group'.

Today, Valentino boutiques can be found all over the world. Only in 2005, 18 new stores have been opened, from St Petersburg to Beijing, from Tokyo to Riyadh. And Valentino continues to represent, alongside Ferrari and very few others, the true essence of Italian style and creativity.

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Source: Valentino