Nearing the close of his fourth decade as fashion's preeminent weaver of dreams—he dressed the likes of Elizabeth Taylor before de Rossi was born—Valentino is still the designer to be seen in. Trim and vigorous at 66, the Italian-born couturier has never been more in vogue: His distinctive, sumptuous designs continue to grace the world's most glamorous women. "His styles hold on to their elegance," says director Chris Columbus, who featured Valentino originals in his 1998 movie Step-mom (Julia Roberts's character, a fashion photographer, shot a layout for the designer). "I wanted the clothes to be valid when Stepmom runs on TV at 4 a.m. in 2010."
Valentino too will likely still be fashioning fantasies well into the next millennium. Last year his lines of clothing, fragrances, makeup and accessories chalked up some $844 million in wholesale revenues, spurred by a loyal base of customers that includes huge fan Sharon Stone. "He creates the look of the '30s and '40s," gushes the actress, "without a sense of costume." Of course, when it comes to owning a Valentino, it helps to be a megastar: Buyers shell out from $300 for a knit top to $50,000 for a couture gown. His creations "might not be relevant to most people," allows John Fairchild, founding editor of Women's Wear Daily.
Valentino credits his staying power to knowing what his customers want. "Women," he declares in his thick Italian accent, "want to look beautiful and feminine." Meeting that challenge still engages him. Most weekdays, Valentino (who discarded his last name, Garavini, decades ago) can be found at his fashion house in Rome from midmorning until 8 p.m. "I just don't stop," he says. "Seeing materials, seeing fittings, deciding on new colors."
Valentino also thrives "on living rich and spending," says his friend and fellow designer Diane Von Furstenberg. "And he feels no shame for any of it." From his Rome headquarters he routinely jets off to his chateau near Paris, his home in London, his apartment in Manhattan, his chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland, or his summer house on Capri. That is, when he's not entertaining chums on his 140-foot yacht. Valentino, who befriended such celebrity clients as Jacqueline Onassis and Princess Di, explains his opulent tastes: "I have always dreamt of beautiful women, beautiful homes, beautiful decor. I have always loved beauty."
His appreciation of fine things was instilled by his mother, Terese. She and Valentino's wealthy father, Jacobo, owner of an electric-appliance business, raised him and his older sister Wanda in the small town of Voghera, Italy. Terese, a homemaker, took great pride in her appearance, says her son. "She was a provincial lady, but she would go to the most expensive dressmaker," he says. "She'd rather have five perfect dresses than several of lesser quality."
Young Valentino's stylistic flair first showed itself in sketches. At 16, he attended design school in Milan; a year later his parents let him move to Paris. "I was a very strong boy," he says. "I knew what I wanted." He worked as an assistant to couturier Jean Dessès, then to designer Guy Laroche. In 1959 he returned to Italy and, with a $50,000 loan from his father, opened a fashion house.
His designs soon caused a stir. "He was just 26, and there was all this publicity around him," remembers Giancarlo Giammetti, 61, then an architecture student and, for the past 38 years, Valentino's business partner. The young sensation set his sights high—specifically on Elizabeth Taylor, who was in Rome filming Cleopatra in 1960. He showed up at her villa with 25 dresses; she bought 8 and also ordered a gown to wear to a movie premiere.
But it was in 1968, after Jackie Kennedy chose a short lace Valentino dress for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis, that the designer's name flashed around the world. By the late '70s he had opened boutiques in London, Milan, Paris and New York City; today he has 37 stores in 15 countries, with 347 employees.
Last year, Valentino, who has no heirs, sold his business to the Italian conglomerate Hdp for $300 million as a way, he says, to ensure his line's longevity. But he has not given up control over his designs and still caters to high-end clients. "That rapport is not about clothing," he says. "They love me as a human being."
Rapport aside, Valentino says there is no special companion in his life, only pugs Maggie and Mollie, who tag along on most trips. "I am crazy for them," says the designer, who keeps fit by swimming and skiing. Active in charities (he founded LIFE, a group for children with AIDS, in 1990), he sounds genuinely humble about his undiminished status as fashion's regal romanticist. "My gosh, as a kid I would dream of becoming a great designer," he says. "When you think about my career, it's amazing." Notice, if you will, his use of the present tense. "I ask myself when I plan to stop," says Valentino. "I never give myself an answer."
Alex Tresniowski
Joanne Fowler in New York City
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