From Rome to the red carpet, Valentino has always embraced opulence and Italian style. Under Valentino Garavani, the house was pure refined glamour. Later, under the joint creative direction of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, it found a balance between heritage and modernity. Then, with Piccioli solo, Valentino moved toward radical softness. Think fuchsia couture, not just red. Now, with Alessandro Michele stepping in, a new chapter begins. But before we turn the page, these five moments shaped the Maison.
Valentino and model, Haute Couture in Beijing 2019, Spring Couture 2024, Prefall 2025, Spring Couture 2024, Prefall 2025. Courtesy of Valentino.
Red. Not just a colour, but a language. The 1962 couture show at the Pitti Palace in Florence turned a single hue into a signature. Valentino Red became shorthand for sensual sophistication from the ‘Fiesta’ dress in his 1959 debut to countless reinventions since. The colour still closes many collections.
In his world, beauty was everything. “I love beauty, it’s not my fault,” Garavani once said, immortalised in The Last Emperor. Think of the caped gown. Clean lines, full volume. Reimagined again and again in new collections.
Another signature: embroidery so delicate it nearly disappears. Tulle, hand-stitched and weightless, as if the dress were meant to float, not walk. Garavani’s eye for detail was unmatched. Lace, silk, chiffon. Femininity is architecture.
Then came the studs. In 2010, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri introduced the Rockstud heel. Unexpected. Sharp. Chic with a spike. A modern icon born from a duo that reshaped Valentino’s codes, before Chiuri left for Dior.
And finally: saturated power pink. Pierpaolo’s Pink PP became a manifesto, expressed in full fuchsia looks. A rebellion rooted in couture craft, created in collaboration with Pantone.
Even now, Garavani’s legacy is tangible. In Rome, the cultural space PM23 — near the Spanish Steps — showcases his vision through fashion, art and red. The foundation he shares with Giancarlo Giammetti is a reminder that beauty is eternal. A must-see on my list.
Image credits. courtesy of Valentino and PM23.
More at: www.valentino.com
