Valentino

Valentino is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Rome in 1960 by Valentino Garavani. Synonymous with Roman opulence, exquisite craftsmanship, and the unmistakable 'Valentino Red,' the house has dressed royalty, first ladies, and Hollywood icons across more than six decades.

After studying in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts and apprenticing under Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche, Valentino Garavani returned to Rome and opened his first atelier on Via Condotti in 1959. The following year he officially founded the house that bore his name, making his international debut in Florence in 1962 to immediate acclaim. Garavani’s philosophy centered on a supreme, unapologetic femininity — expressed through immaculate volume, hand-embroidered couture, and a specific scarlet hue so singular it became known simply as “Valentino Red.” The house dressed Jacqueline Kennedy for her 1968 wedding to Aristotle Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn, cementing its reputation as the couturier of choice for the world’s most photographed women. Following Garavani’s retirement in 2007, the house has continued to evolve through a succession of creative directors, balancing deep archival reverence with contemporary cultural dialogue.