How fashion legend Valentino dressed stars from Florence Pugh to Kim K as REAL reason for his Diana fall out revealed
WHEN the most famous women in the world wanted a show-stopping dress, their designer of choice was Valentino Garavani.
The Italian fashion legend, who last night died, aged 93 at his home in Rome, even had a colour — Valentino red — named after his signature dresses.
Among the many fans of his designs were Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Zendaya, Lady Gaga and Queen Camilla.
JFK’s widow Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Schiffer are among those to have worn one of his creations on their wedding day.
Valentino is one of the biggest fashion brands on the planet, making more than a billion pounds worth of sales last year.
Founded in 1960, the company’s V is a sign of luxury found on everything from handbags, shoes and perfume to both men’s and women’s clothes.
Valentino has included a red dress in every collection since its launch, and Valentino red gowns have been worn by Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rihanna among others.
But the designer famously fell out with Princess Diana after the late royal ditched one of his creations for a different “revenge dress” for her first public appearance following revelations that King Charles had cheated on her.
Valentino was the last of the classic 20th-century designers, who also included Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld.
The fashion great, who had a relationship with his male business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, said: “I love beauty. It is not my fault.
‘WOMEN WANT TO BE BEAUTIFUL’
“And I know what women want — they want to be beautiful.”
Right from his birth, this son of an electrical wholesaler was destined to be linked with a world of glamour.
His mother named him after the silent movie star Rudolph Valentino.
He grew up in the small Italian town of Voghera, near Milan, and started designing clothes when he was 12 years old.
Valentino said: “I could do shoes, blouse, scarf, skirt, I did everything. All on top of my school book.”
His parents wanted him to become a doctor, but were supportive when he announced he wanted to go into fashion.
After studying and working in Paris, Valentino set up his own fashion house in Rome in 1960, helped financially by his father.
Aged 28 at the time, he met fashion student Giancarlo, then 18, who became the co-founder of the firm.
The couple had a romantic relationship until 1972 but continued working together professionally for half a century.
Their first famous supporter was Jackie Kennedy, the wife of the US President John F Kennedy.
She wore his couture dresses while mourning her husband after he was assassinated in 1963 and also selected a Valentino for her marriage to the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis five years later.
Joan Collins wore his frocks at the height of her Dynasty fame in the 1980s and Princess Diana was a close friend who would holiday on his yachts.
Diana was supposed to wear a Valentino in 1994 for an event at the Serpentine Gallery in London after Charles spoke about his affair with Camilla in a Jonathan Dimbleby interview.
But when Valentino leaked the news, she ditched him for a black silk cocktail gown by Christina Stambolian.
I use very slim models without bosoms to be free to create. Sometimes, if the model has a bosom or a little big hips, it gets in the way
Valentino
There were plenty of other women who wanted to wear the brand’s elegant frocks on the red carpet.
Julia Roberts wore Valentino at the Oscars in 2001, Florence Pugh followed suit at the Venice Film Festival 2022 as did Sharon Stone at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995.
Such was his status in the fashion world, he even appeared as himself in 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.
But he also had an obsession with women’s weight and objected to “fat” women.
In 1986 he said: “Women love to be slim. I prefer too thin to too fat.
“I use very slim models without bosoms to be free to create. Sometimes, if the model has a bosom or a little big hips, it gets in the way.
“That is important when I create something new. Later it can be translated for women much larger.”
‘ADIEU TO THE WORLD OF FASHION’
In 1998, Valentino and Giancarlo sold the firm for around £200million and then later tried and failed to buy it back.
His huge wealth meant he lived a jet-set lifestyle, with homes in London, Rome and New York as well as an 84ft yacht.
Valentino kept designing up until 2008, eventually choosing to quit while he was still at the top of his game.
He said: “I have decided that this is the perfect moment to say adieu to the world of fashion.
“As the English say, I would like to leave the party when it is still full.”