valentino

Valentino, the emperor of fashion

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More than a designer, a keeper of beauty — an empire built on devotion, not disruption


Valentino Garavani, the emperor of fashion, passed away on January 19, at the age of 93, in Rome — the city he loved and never truly left. In an era defined by constant noise, speed, and relentless reinvention, his legacy stands apart. Not because it chased trends, but because it cultivated a world of timeless elegance, patience, and enduring beauty.

This is not an attempt to retrace a career — there is already more than enough of that. Instead, this is an effort to understand what Valentino can still teach us. What remains relevant. What the fashion industry — and perhaps creative work as a whole — risks forgetting.

Born in Voghera in 1932, Valentino’s aesthetic awakening came early. He often recalled a formative moment at the opera in Barcelona, where he saw women wrapped in red. That vision — colour, drama, ceremony — sparked a lifelong devotion to clothing as celebration. From that moment on, fashion was never merely functional for him; it was cultural, emotional, and deeply respectful of beauty.

He studied in Milan and then moved to Paris, where he worked for Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche, absorbing the discipline of haute couture and the rigour of craft. In 1960, he returned to Rome, where he met Giancarlo Giammetti — his business partner and lifelong companion. Together, they built something rare: a maison founded on mutual trust, clarity of roles, and a shared vision. Valentino created; Giammetti protected the conditions that allowed creation to flourish.

Black-and-white archival photo of Valentino Garavani in his atelier. The emperor of fashion holds a white embroidered dress with care, in the act of presenting his creation.

From a small atelier, international recognition followed. Heads of state, actresses, and cultural icons wore his designs not to be noticed, but to feel complete. His work became a pillar of Italian fashion history, yet its appeal was always global — rooted in classical ideals, but never provincial.

In a fashion system that now rewards disruption above all else — even within his own brand — Valentino’s journey reminds us of what is being lost: the power of a singular vision patiently built over a lifetime. He shaped his path through self-improvement, perseverance, discipline, and devotion. There was no rush, no need to shout. Only the quiet confidence of couture mastery.

This was fashion as artisanal excellence — an expression of creativity anchored in craftsmanship and cultural intelligence. Valentino began in a four-person atelier, where every stitch served a vision, not a market forecast or a shareholder meeting. Today, creative directors often bend to corporate strategies; his generation built houses where creativity led, and business followed.

He announced his retirement in 2007, at the age of 75, with a final, all-red, iconic show in Paris in 2008 that felt less like a farewell and more like a celebration of coherence. Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer later captured his legacy in the 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor — a revealing portrait of discipline, obsession, and unwavering standards.

The emperor of fashion — in his own words


Valentino was never vague about what he believed in.

“Elegance is made of intelligence, and above all of not flaunting the label.”

This sentence alone explains much of what feels absent today. His couture belonged to a world where creativity and quality spoke louder than branding. Where clothing revealed taste rather than wealth. Today, the balance has reversed: logos have replaced language, stepping in where quality no longer speaks for itself.

“Today, those who have money do not always have class or memory.”

Memory here is key — cultural memory, aesthetic memory, historical awareness. Without it, fashion becomes noise.

He spoke openly about contemporary taste:

“Today, with the influencers, bad taste is everywhere.”

And in his farewell to Pierpaolo Piccioli, he offered what may be his most revealing statement on modern fashion:

“Thank you… for your friendship, respect, and support. You’re the only designer I know who hasn’t tried to distort the codes of a major brand by imposing new ones and the megalomania of a ridiculous ego.”

In those words lies his entire credo: respect for heritage, humility before beauty, and a firm rejection of ego-driven disruption. 

Final thoughts


So what can we learn from Valentino — the emperor of fashion? From someone who made creativity, couture, and beauty the work of a lifetime?

That legacy is not built by chasing what is new, but by deepening what is beautiful. That true luxury is not only what you create, but what you refuse to compromise. And that elegance — real elegance — requires time, memory, intelligence, and restraint.

In today’s fashion machine, where speed is rewarded and noise is constant, Valentino’s life asks a quieter, more demanding question:

What are we in such a hurry to create, if not something meant to last?

He was not just a designer. He was an emperor — of a slower, more deliberate kingdom. One that, in its silence, still speaks louder than ever.

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Valentino under investigation by Milan Court

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Subcontracting: A supply chain system built on denial


Valentino is the latest brand to come under scrutiny by the Milan Court.
Specifically, Valentino Bags Lab Srl—a subsidiary of the Roman fashion house that produces bags and travel accessories—is being investigated for subcontracting production to Chinese factories that allegedly exploited workers.

According to a 30-page court decree reported by Reuters, judges overseeing preventive measures appointed a one-year administrator to Mayhoola’s investment firm (the Qatari parent company of Valentino) for failing to ensure “adequate checks on contractors’ working conditions or technical capabilities.”

Milan’s Carabinieri Labour Protection Unit—a specialised police division dedicated to enforcing labour law—inspected seven Chinese-owned subcontractor factories on the city’s outskirts that were producing Valentino bags. They found 67 workers: seven undeclared and three undocumented. The Carabinieri report outlines exploitative conditions, including sub-minimum wages, excessive working hours, poor safety standards, and illegal dormitories with unhygienic conditions.

This marks the fourth investigation shaking the luxury fashion industry, following similar actions involving Alviero Martini SpA, Giorgio Armani Operations, and Manufactures Dior, all of which were later revoked.

Subcontracting: A supply chain system built on denial


The low-cost subcontracting system isn’t driven solely by top brands seeking higher profit margins—manufacturers operate under the same logic. It’s a well-known practice across the industry: everyone does it, yet all pretend it doesn’t exist. Everyone passes the buck. No one ever seems to know anything.

To maximise profits, brands demand ever-lower production costs. In response, manufacturers must preserve their margins, so they outsource to third parties. This results in extended chains of subcontractors, often with little or no oversight. Production is externalised, and brands relinquish control over their supply chains—whether intentionally or by design.

More than fashion: A symptom of capitalism


The system of subcontracting—especially low-cost, opaque subcontracting chains—is not unique to the fashion industry. It’s a symptom of a broader capitalist dynamic marked by extraction, exploitation, and systemic opacity.
In particular:

1. A practice typical of extractive capitalism

It stems from a model where profit maximisation overrides everything else, including transparency, workers’ rights, and environmental responsibility. Subcontracting allows companies to:

  • Reduce direct liability
  • Cut costs
  • Avoid regulations and unions
  • Claim ignorance when abuses occur (“plausible deniability”)

This logic is widespread across sectors like construction, electronics, agriculture, logistics, and, of course, fashion—any industry where labour can be shifted to where it’s cheapest and least protected.

2. Amplified in the fashion industry

Fashion epitomises this system for several reasons:

  • Rapid seasonal cycles and the demand for constant newness push production to be faster and cheaper.
  • Fragmented, globalised supply chains make transparency difficult.
  • Brand-driven business models mean labels rarely own the factories they depend on, distancing themselves from labour conditions.
  • Marketing dominates manufacturing—brands invest more in image and storytelling than in how and where their products are actually made.

So while fashion didn’t invent the system, it amplifies it—making it one of the clearest expressions of capitalism’s outsourced conscience.

Final thoughts


In conclusion, Valentino is just the latest in a growing list of top-tier brands caught in the web of exploitation. But the real issue isn’t just one brand—it’s the system itself.

This ongoing scandal undermines the luxury industry’s carefully curated narrative. Premium prices are justified in part by the “Made in Italy” promise: craftsmanship, quality, and ethical production. Now, that promise rings hollow. The growing popularity of TikTok exposés on Chinese-made luxury bags reflects a broader disillusionment. People are waking up to the disconnect between branding and reality.

It’s not about bad apples. It’s about a broken tree.

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Giancarlo Giammetti: The ultimate word on creative directors

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Valentino’s co-founder declares: “Style must be defended like freedom”


At Rome’s Forme festival – a celebration of fashion academies – Giancarlo Giammetti delivered what may stand as his ultimate word on creative directors. Between recollections of Valentino’s golden era and warnings about today’s industry, one declaration rang out like a battle cry: 

“Style must be defended like freedom.”


The Valentino co-founder served as guest speaker for the third talk of Forme – Perspectives on Fashion, Art, and Creativity, held March 21-22 at Massimiliano Fuksas’ striking Nuvola complex. In conversation with Tg1’s fashion director Barbara Modesti before an audience of students, Giammetti wove personal history into a masterclass on fashion’s shifting values.

Beauty as a form of radical resistance


“True beauty transcends aesthetics,” Giammetti asserted. “For Valentino and me, it now represents peace and serenity.” This philosophy drives their PM23 Foundation at Rome’s 23 Piazza Mignanelli, where fashion and art converge deliberately. “We’re simply honouring what always was: to create beauty through art and fashion.”

The lost art of creative freedom


His advice to emerging designers cut through the noise: “Create what you love. Believe in what you do, in your style, and try to assert it – even if times have changed.” The comparison to his and Valentino’s early struggles was inevitable. “Valentino and I were two twenty-year-olds coming together, facing a thousand difficulties. Today, the times impose business logic, and designers are no longer free to create. The system demands economic values. But the true values are those tied to solitude, freedom, and beauty.”

He recalled Valentino’s epiphany in Barcelona: “Spanish women in red at the opera, crimson flowers everywhere – that became his red. Not a Pantone, but blood and passion made visible.”

Creativity, not algorithms


Giammetti’s voice turned wry discussing fashion’s digital decay: “We dined with Warhol; Valentino dedicated collections to Basquiat. Art has always been fundamental to him.”  

Now? Designers create for Instagram’s hunger, not women’s lives. “We didn’t need to make a fuss on the runway or send messages. Today, with social media, it seems that designers make clothes more for photos on social media than for women.”

He praised the talent in the room but issued a warning: “Defend your style. Creative directors now bend to corporate wills—Valentino’s era of four-person ateliers is gone.”

Heritage vs. hype: Giancarlo Giammetti on creative directors – The ultimate word


Here came his most pointed critique as he pronounced the ultimate word on creative directors:

 “The relationship between a brand’s heritage and business strategy must be respected by creative directors. It’s not about copying the archive, but neither should it be turned into a mockery.”

The unspoken reference to Alessandro Michele’s Valentino tenure hovered like Roman humidity.

Giancarlo Giammetti: Support to young creatives


When prompted for a favourite anecdote, Giammetti shared: “We were visiting Queen Elizabeth, and Valentino said, ‘Your Majesty, may I introduce my assistant?’ I wanted to die.”
The crowd erupted in laughter—and later, a standing ovation—as he confirmed the Garavani Foundation’s mission: “To support young creatives.”

Final thoughts


At Forme – Perspectives on Fashion, Art, and Creativity, Giancarlo Giammetti offered clear, wholehearted guidance. His reflections encapsulated an unrepeatable chapter in fashion history—a true lesson for the younger generation. Yet, it also served as a powerful reminder for those beyond their youth.

His support for emerging creatives was evident. Yet, what resonated most was his ultimate word on creative directors: respect heritage, don’t merely copy the archive, and never turn it into a circus—wisdom much needed in today’s collapsing fashion industry.

In short, Giammetti distilled sixty years of fashion work into pure doctrine:

  • Style is sovereignty – defend it or lose it.
  • Beauty is responsibility – not Instagram currency.
  • Legacy isn’t Lego – don’t dismantle what you should elevate.

In an industry suffocating under frequent changes and instability, his words charted a course.

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SS25 Haute Couture Week Final Thoughts

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Marine fantasies from two visionary designers


As SS25 Paris Haute Couture Week unfolds, we dive into a realm where fashion transcends reality, offering a glimpse into the fantastical and unattainable. Haute couture is not just about garments—it’s a space for dreams and artistic expression at its peak. By the way, it’s about true luxury for a few.

Whether drawing from mythological fantasies or embodying a designer’s essence, haute couture captivates with its artistry. Among the collections that resonated with us were the mesmerizing creations of Jean Paul Gaultier and Yuima Nakazato—each echoing the enchantment of marine life in their own distinctive ways.

SS25 Haute Couture – Jean Paul Gaultier: nautical fantasies reimagined


We were captivated by Naufrage, the sea-inspired collection by Ludovic de Saint Sernin, this season’s guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier. From shipwrecked mermaids to daring sailors, pirates and majestic sailing ships, the show was an ode to the nautical themes so deeply embedded in Gaultier’s DNA. Corsetry, second-skin gowns, and audacious tailoring wove a seamless narrative, staying true to the house’s heritage while offering a fresh, contemporary twist.

This was so much Gaultier—bold, imaginative, and beautifully executed. The brand’s iconic codes were reinterpreted with a modern edge, proving that reinvention doesn’t mean losing identity but rather refining it with artistry.


Yuima Nakazato: ethereal nomads in a dreamlike desert


A dim light. A barren desert at the center of the stage. The distant sound of waves. Models moving in slow motion, as if suspended in time. The Japanese Yuima Nakazato transported us to a world where tradition and futurism merged effortlessly. His garments, a fusion of ethnic beauty and modern innovation, carried an almost sacred quality. The craftsmanship was exquisite, with accessories that perfectly complemented the ethereal silhouettes. The overall effect was mesmerizing—like watching a noble tribe with luminous souls making their way through the vastness of a quiet, moonlit night.


Valentino through the eyes of Alessandro Michele—Valentino?


Alessandro Michele’s first haute couture collection for Valentino left us wondering: do we still need designers who are actually capable of doing their job? Apparently, not anymore. 

A black backdrop illuminated by LED lights. Exaggerated silhouettes. Two details we appreciated: the graceful presence of models of all ages, including middle-aged and beyond; and the focus on individual pieces. And yet…

What we saw wasn’t couture but costume. The collection felt like a direct extension of Michele’s Gucci era, repurposing his own aesthetic that, while impactful, didn’t translate into the world of Valentino. The essence of Valentino’s haute couture— gowns for a few lucky ones —was missing as most pieces were unwearable.

We couldn’t help but wonder: why doesn’t he launch his own brand instead? And above all, how is Mr. Valentino doing after seeing this show?

SS25 Haute Couture Week endnotes


In conclusion, as the SS25 Paris Haute Couture Week comes to a close, we are once again caught in the whirlwind of musical chairs—who exits, who enters, and what it all means. The relentless cycle of change seems to overshadow the very notion of timelessness, while the designer’s ego increasingly takes centre stage, shaping the narrative more than the heritage itself.

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The Role of the Designer

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Examining the changing face of fashion


Understanding the evolving dynamics of the role of the designer is crucial for navigating industry shifts. Often, we’ve been pondering a recurring question: Does it still make sense to keep an eye on luxury brands?

The so-called but no-more-so luxury brands. Or the once esteemed but now seemingly entangled in the pursuit of profit. Therefore, they change designers for short-term profit, to the point of sacrificing their legacy. It’s a reflection that delves into the core values of an industry now seemingly driven by financial gains rather than its intrinsic essence.

In one of our most recent posts, we wrote a thought we want to repurpose here. Indeed, a significant issue that requires additional investigation. In the ever-evolving landscape of fashion, where trends shift like sand dunes in the wind, algorithms emerge as a formidable force, reshaping the industry in unprecedented ways.

Fashion designers: from skills to loudness


But what are the consequences of algorithms?
One of the consequences of this transformation is the shifting role of the brand’s central figure: the designer. Alber Elbaz’s poignant observation sheds light on this evolution:

“We designers, we started as couturiers, with dreams, with intuition. Then we became ‘creative directors’, so have to create but mostly direct. And now we have to become image-makers… Loudness is the new cool, and not only in fashion, you know. I prefer whispering.”

Alber Elbaz

Indeed, in today’s digital age, the clamour for attention on social media platforms necessitates a cacophony of noise from brands. Loudness has become the modus operandi to cut through the clutter of images inundating our feeds. In other words, social media has corrupted fashion.

Of course, recent developments follow this logic. Specifically, Maison Valentino appointed Alessandro Michele as the new creative director. That underscores the industry’s relentless pursuit of attracting young, social media-savvy audiences. And to the expenses of decades of legacy, consistency and beauty. While these individuals may possess an innate understanding of visuals, the question arises: Can they perceive the depth of quality, skills, and ability essential for authentic creative direction beyond surface aesthetics?

As we move forward in the fashion industry, it is crucial to reflect on the shift in the role of the designer. And question whether profit has eclipsed the industry’s once-revered artistic and creative integrity.

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