Valentino (fashion house) facts for kids
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| Società per azioni | |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1960 Rome, Italy |
| Founder | Valentino Garavani |
| Headquarters | |
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Number of locations
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287 stores worldwide (2025) |
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Key people
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Jacopo Venturini (CEO) Alessandro Michele (Creative director) |
| Products | |
| €1.35 billion (2023) | |
| Owner |
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Valentino S.p.A. is a famous Italian fashion company. It creates beautiful luxury clothing and accessories. The company was started in 1960 by a talented designer named Valentino Garavani. Today, Valentino is part of the Valentino Fashion Group.
The main office for creative ideas is in Rome, Italy, at Palazzo Gabrielli-Mignanelli. The company's legal base is in Milan. Jacopo Venturini has been the CEO since 2020. Alessandro Michele became the creative director in 2024. In 2023, the company reported sales of €1.35 billion. Valentino has around 287 stores all over the world.
Contents
The Story of Valentino: A Fashion Journey
How Valentino Began: Early Years
Valentino Garavani opened his first fashion house in 1960. It was on Via Condotti in Rome, Italy. His father and a friend, Giancarlo Giammetti, helped him start the business.
Becoming Famous: Valentino's Rise
Valentino first showed its designs to the world in 1962. This happened in Florence, which was Italy's fashion capital back then. The brand became very popular in 1967. This was after they released their "no colour" collection. This collection featured clothes in white, beige, and ivory. It stood out because it didn't use the bright, swirling patterns common at the time. The well-known V logo was also introduced then. Later, Valentino opened stores in New York City and other places. In 1985, they held their first fashion show for men's clothing.
Valentino has designed many special wedding dresses. Famous people like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jennifer Lopez wore them. Other notable brides include Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden.
New Owners and Creative Changes
Over the years, Valentino changed owners a few times. In 1998, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti sold the company. It was bought by an Italian group called HdP. Later, in 2002, another textile company, Marzotto Apparel, bought Valentino. These changes helped the company grow and reach more people.
In 2005, the Marzotto family created the Valentino Fashion Group. This group focused on all their fashion brands. Stefano Sassi became the CEO in 2006. He played a big part in making the brand popular again in the 2010s.
In 2007, a company called Permira took control of Valentino. Later that year, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti decided to leave the company. They stepped down in early 2008.
After they left, new creative directors took over. Alessandra Facchinetti led the women's collections for a short time. Then, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli became co-creative directors. They brought a fresh, modern look to Valentino. They also created popular items like the "Rockstud" accessories and "Rockrunner" sneakers. In 2008, Valentino opened its first store in China.
Valentino Today: Modern Fashion and Values
In 2012, a group from Qatar called Mayhoola for Investments bought Valentino. This new ownership helped the company continue to grow.
In 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri left Valentino to work for another fashion house. Pierpaolo Piccioli then became the only creative director. Under his leadership, Valentino became even more modern. The brand started to show more diversity in its campaigns. For example, in 2019, models Adut Akech and Anwar Hadid starred in a fragrance campaign. In 2022, Valentino presented a collection with models of many different body types.
In 2020, Jacopo Venturini became the new CEO. Under his guidance, Valentino made important ethical choices. The company announced it would stop using alpaca wool. This decision came after concerns about animal welfare in the alpaca industry. In 2022, Valentino also stopped using fur in its designs.
Valentino also decided to focus on its main clothing lines. They closed their younger fashion line, Red Valentino, in 2022. The last collection for Red Valentino was in Fall/Winter 2023.
In 2023, Valentino received an award for promoting education in Italy. This was the Education of Excellence Award.
In July 2023, another luxury group, Kering, bought 30% of Valentino. Kering plans to buy the rest of the company by 2028.
In March 2024, Pierpaolo Piccioli left his role as creative director. Soon after, Alessandro Michele was announced as the new creative director. Michele is well-known for his unique and creative designs. In June 2024, Valentino showed Michele's first designs. His first big runway show was during Paris Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2025.
On May 15, 2025, one of Valentino's units, Valentino Bags Lab, was placed under special court supervision in Italy for a year. This was to ensure fair working conditions and practices were followed.
Beyond Clothing: Valentino's Other Creations
Signature Scents: Valentino Perfumes
Valentino also creates many popular perfumes. Some of their well-known fragrances include Valentino Classique (1978) and Valentina (2011). In 2020, Valentino Beauty launched a new perfume called Voce Viva. Famous singer Lady Gaga became the face of this perfume.
From 2010 to 2018, the company Puig managed Valentino's perfumes. Since then, Valentino has worked with L'Oréal for its fragrances.
Stylish Eyewear: Valentino Glasses
Valentino also makes fashionable glasses and sunglasses. For many years, they worked with companies like Marchon Eyewear and Luxottica. In 2021, Valentino started a new partnership with the Akoni Group. This company designs, makes, and sells Valentino's glasses worldwide.
Red Valentino: A Younger Fashion Line
In 2003, designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli started a younger fashion line. It was called Red Valentino. This line offered more playful and affordable styles. Red Valentino was popular and made up about 10% of Valentino Group's sales by 2015. However, the company decided to stop this line in 2022 to focus on its main luxury collections.
Who Leads Valentino?
Top Leaders: CEOs of Valentino
- 2002-2006: Michele Norsa
- 2006-2020: Stefano Sassi
- Since 2020: Jacopo Venturini
Creative Minds: Valentino's Designers
- 1959-2007: Valentino Garavani
- 2007-2008: Alessandra Facchinetti
- 2008-2016: Maria Grazia Chiuri (worked with Pierpaolo Piccioli)
- 2008-2024: Pierpaolo Piccioli
- Since 2024: Alessandro Michele
Memorable Moments: Valentino's Campaigns
Valentino often works with famous photographers for its advertisements. These have included Deborah Turbeville and Inez and Vinoodh.
For its Spring/Summer 2016 collection, Valentino created a campaign inspired by African culture. Photographer Steve McCurry took pictures in Kenya's Amboseli National Park. The campaign featured local Maasai people. Some people felt the campaign could have been more sensitive to cultural differences. This feedback helps fashion brands learn to be more thoughtful about how they represent different cultures.
