In this beautiful and glossy book,Valentino's world comes to life with myriad images and magazine shoots plus text from talents like Suzy Menkes, Ingrid Sischy and Anna Wintour. All the above help celebrate the artistic genius of one of the most accomplished and successful couturiers of this century.

Think Valentino: think luxury. Think elegance.Think red carpet. Fashion's most beloved upholder of refined decadence and the most exciting couturier in business is known around the globe simply by his first name. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, Valentino was already at the height of success, counting Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees.Over forty years later, not much has changed--he's still dressing the top celebrities, from Gwyneth Paltrow to J.Lo, though now his business is a major economic force in Italy and his fashion house is among the most famous in the world. Valentino has always designed clothes for glamorous and sophisticated women, never wavering from his signature style even when grunge, deconstruction, and other passing fads were all the rage. Though his couture division almost never makes a profit (his ready-to-wear lines are what fuel the business), his heart is most solidly devoted to the magnificent haute couture gowns that earned him his reputation as fashion's most talented dressmaker.

This publication renders homage to Valentino's illu strious career via a copious selection of images from his archives, including drawings, magazine shoots, advertisements, portraits of Valentino, and documen tary photographs; presented chronologically, the visual material is accompanied by a vast array of newspaper and magazine articles about Valentino throughout the years.

KEEPER OF THE COUTURE FLAME

THE HOUSE OF VALENTINO:

AN ORAL HISTORY

A NEW NAME IN FASHION: THE EARLY YEARS

VALENTINO GOES GLOBAL: BUILDING AN EMPIRE

LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE: THE PRIVATE LIFE

FASHIONING A FAMILY: LIFE WITH THE VALENTINOS

THE BEAU IDEAL OF BEAUTY: THE GOWNS AND THE GLAMOUR

THE MEANING OF BINOMIO: THE PARTNERSHIP

THE LAST LINK TO LA DOLCE VITA: THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

LA STRAORDINARIA STORIA DI VALENTINO GARAVANI:

THE SIXTIES

THE STAR

UNA GRANDE STORIA ITALIANA

DONNE, BASTA PANTALONI! THE SEVENTIES

VA-VA VAVOOMY THE EIGHTIES

A MEMORABLE FIRST ENCOUNTER

ROME:THE DOLCE VITA IS BACK THE NINETIES

TUTTE LE STRADE PORTANO A ROMA: THE 21sT CENTURY

VALENTINO'SWORLD

LIVING LA DOLCE VITA

VALENTINO AT COURT

THE MODEL MATTERS

THE SHEIKH OF CHIC

AN EYE FOR TALENT

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

45YEARS OF STYLE  DRAWINGS & DRESSES

THEY BROKE THE MOLD

DRAWINGS

DRESSES

INDEX

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