Italian fashion designer, born 1932, died on January 19th 2026 at the age of 93. Known by the mononym Valentino, he was called the "last emperor" of haute couture in a 2008 documentary.
Valentino's passion for fashion began when he saw the 1941 film "Ziegfeld Girl" as a boy. He studied in Milan, then Paris, where he learned from masters including Cristóbal Balenciaga and Guy Laroche. In 1959 he launched his own fashion house in Rome with help from his father.
Valentino worked with graceful silhouettes and luxurious fabrics. His gowns were sophisticated and often sexy, but never stuffy. His trademark colour was a poppy-bright red, inspired by the sumptuous costumes and velvet interiors he saw when watching "Carmen" in Barcelona. He included a red dress in almost every collection. Another signature was the Rockstud, a pointed slingback heel adorned with triangular studs, which became a cult item.
His collections did not hew to trends, whether grunge or power dressing. (He considered the 1980s, with their exaggerated shoulder pads, "extremely vulgar".) Olivier Gabet, director of the Louvre's decorative-arts department, noted that unlike Dior or Yves Saint Laurent, whose work can be placed in a particular era, Valentino's archives have a "timeless elegance".
Actresses brought him fame. Elizabeth Taylor wore one of his designs to mark the release of "Spartacus" (1960) and returned to claim seven outfits in exchange for the publicity. Jackie Kennedy asked Valentino to make her mourning clothes after John F. Kennedy's murder; she later wore a short dress from his "white collection" to marry Aristotle Onassis. Royal brides in Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden chose him for their wedding dresses.
In 1960, on the verge of bankruptcy, Valentino met Giancarlo Giammetti, who became his business partner and, for 12 years, his lover. The fashion empire is worth around $6bn and is now jointly owned by Qatari investors and Kering, a luxury conglomerate.
Valentino made a cameo in "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006). His career spanned almost 70 years.
My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.