Valentino Garavani, a 91-year-old iconic couturier, is admired worldwide for his deluxe creations and breathtaking red-carpet gowns. When he was a teenager, his talent for drawing came to light. After his departure to Paris in 1950, at seventeen, Valentino became a famed figure in the fashion world. In 1962, the Italian fashion designer showed a couture collection in Florence, which became his breakthrough. He has gained numerous fans and friends among celebrities, and even royals such as Princess Madeleine of Sweden (2013) address Valentino for bridal dresses.
“V” is not for “vendetta,” “V” means “Valentino.” One of the top designers in Italian haute couture, Valentino Garavani, was called ‘The Sheik of Chic’ in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine in 2004. His name is associated with impeccable taste and a luxurious lifestyle.
“It’s certain that if I hadn’t become a couturier, I’d have been an interior designer,” said Valentino. We bet he would earn fame in this industry, too. “I’ve always been obsessed by beauty in all its forms. You start by accident with a piece of furniture, an object, or a picture, and around it, there gradually evolves a universe. If you have taste, you can mix it all together.”
What makes Valentino’s personal universe? Crystal chandeliers, sumptuous tableware, glitzy artworks, and porcelain. His extravagance leaves an imprint on every place he lives or works in. Want to immerse in the mere aesthetics of Valentino’s numerous houses? We’ve prepared a real feast for your eyes!
For an appetizer, let’s start with the portion of picturesque photos of his Rome villa near the Appian Way, which turned people’s heads in the April Vogue issue of 1970. Valentino’s Appian Way home boasts a swimming pool, a pavilion, and a library with a small terrace adorned with a Botero painting. In the light living room hangs a colorful artwork by Dorazio. The living room is whimsically decorated with an indoor tent. The salon room features a white fireplace in the shape of a pyramid.
The red dining room is a special place for the designer, who modestly said: “I don’t like self-absorbed pleasures, though maybe it’s extremely egotistical to enjoy sharing things with others. I like entertaining small groups. Laying a table is a voluptuous exercise. I prefer floral themes, and I match the settings to the seasons. I’m always quite willing to go to other people’s large parties, but in my own house, I wouldn’t be able to face the upheaval they bring in their wake. I’m an incurable obsessive.” Look at this silver fish-and-fruit sculpture topping the glass dining room table!
Valentino won’t treat his guests using cheap stuff: ‘I love antique china sets, like Meissen or from P.K. Selesia, a German company from the 1930s. Entertaining thirty or one is the same; the food has to be on a beautiful plate,’ Valentino says in his book “At the Emperor’s Table” published in 2014. Except for the red dining room, there is also a small one with a green-and-white striped tent.
For more details, please check our video about Valentino Garavani