What is Valentino Garavani’s Net Worth?
Valentino Garavani, an Italian fashion designer, has a net worth of $1.5 billion. He founded the luxury fashion house that bears his name, which produces a wide range of high-end products, including clothing, footwear, accessories, and perfumes. Valentino is also known for designing wedding dresses for a number of famous individuals, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Jennifer Lopez, and Anne Hathaway.
Valentino Garavani’s Early Life and Career
Valentino Garavani was born in Italy in 1932 and named after silent film star Rudolph Valentino. He developed an interest in fashion as a child while working with his aunt Rosa and local designer Ernestina Salvadeo. Garavani later moved to Paris, France, to study at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He apprenticed under several fashion designers, including Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, and Guy Laroche.
Valentino’s Fashion Career
Valentino opened his own fashion house in Rome in 1960 and soon met Giancarlo Giammetti, with whom he began a longterm personal and professional partnership. In 1964, he provided six haute couture dresses to Jackie Kennedy during her year of mourning after her husband’s assassination.
Throughout the 70s, Valentino continued to grow his status as one of the world’s foremost fashion designers. He designed both couture and ready-to-wear womenswear, placing an emphasis on midiskirts, knee-high boots, and fit-and-flare silhouettes. He was particularly inspired by the retro 40s and 50s looks that were making a comeback, and so designed broad-shouldered jackets, gloves, hats, and cinch belts.
Valentino’s Fame and Dominance in the Fashion Industry
Valentino’s fame and dominance within the fashion industry persisted throughout the 80s and into the 90s. He became well known in the United States for designing clothes for actress Joan Collins, star of the hit television soap opera “Dynasty.” His styles during the decade included broad shoulder padding, miniskirts, tailored suits, cocktail dresses, and retro ballgowns.
In 1990, Valentino opened the Accademia Valentino, a cultural space designed by architect Tommaso Ziffer and intended to be used as an exhibition area for artists. Later in the decade, Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti sold the Valentino company to Italian conglomerate HdP for around $300 million. In 2002, HdP sold the company to the Italian textile manufacturer Marzotto for $210 million. A decade after that, Valentino was purchased by Qatari aristocrats.
Valentino Garavani Retires from Fashion Industry
Valentino Garavani retired from the fashion industry in early 2008 after his final haute couture show in Paris. The show was attended by high-profile models such as Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Karen Mulder, and Nadja Auermann.
Valentino’s Honors and Awards
In 2006, Valentino received the National Order of the Legion of Honor, the highest order of merit given in France. He was also awarded the Medal of the City of Paris in 2008 for his services to fashion. Other honors include the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement and the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
Valentino’s Personal Life
Valentino Garavani had a romantic relationship with his business partner Giancarlo Giammetti from 1960 until 1972. He then dated Carlos Souza until Souza’s marriage to Charlene Shorto in 1983. Valentino and Giammetti became godfathers to Souza and Shorto’s sons. He also had relationships with model Bruce Hoeksema and actress Marilù Tolo. Valentino is a dog lover and owns six pugs. His life and work are documented in the 2008 film “Valentino: The Last Emperor.”
Valentino and Giammetti’s Global Property Holdings
Valentino and Giammetti share numerous homes and apartments around the world, including a Roman villa, a 19th-century London mansion, a Manhattan penthouse, a French castle, and a Swiss chalet. Valentino also spends much of his time in Giammetti’s personal homes, which include an 18th-century Tuscan villa, a Parisian penthouse, and a London apartment.
