Embrace your luxurious, edgy side
History
Valentino Garavani was born in Voghera, Italy in 1932. From such a young age, Garavani had an extreme passion for fashion and art. At the young age of 17 years old he moved to Paris to study fashion, during this same year he debuted his first Haute Couture collection with the name of “Ibis.” Haute Couture refers to “high dressmaking” in French, it is the creation of custom-fitted, exclusive, high-end fashion garments made by hand from beginning to end. In 1960, Maison Valentino was founded by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti. Giammetti was an architecture student from Rome, who blended his own strategic approach with Garavani’s historically visionary talent.
In January of 1968, Valentino presented his iconic Ibis Collection. The Haute Couture Collection was a visionary image of purity and chromatic lightness that was brought to life through fashion. For her wedding, Jaqueline Kennedy requested a Valentino selection from this Haute Couture Collection. Afterwards Valentino received sixty orders for Kennedy’s identical dress. During this same year, Valentino opened his first boutique in Paris, France, and later went on to open 5 more boutiques shortly after.
In April 1982, Valentino was invited to present his collection in Tokyo allowing for his collection to be recognized more internationally. Valentino presented his collection alongside other renowned designers.
Valentino Garavani was also honored with the title of Cavaliere di Gran Croce in 1968. This title is awarded by the Italian President in recognition of exceptional contributions to the nation in science, arts, economy and public service. This title is the highest ranking honor within the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
A little under 30 years after receiving the high ranking honor, Valentino Garavani was awarded the title “Cavaliere del Lavoro.” This title was created in 1901 and is given to up to 25 distinguished entrepreneurs annually for significant contributions to industry, commerce, agriculture or banking.
Valentino Garavani received the Legion d’Honneur in 2006. This recognition was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte as a French honor of the highest merit and most prestigious national decoration. This decoration recognizes “eminent merits” in both military and civilian life. Bonaparte designed this order to be egalitarian, meaning it was awarded to individuals regardless of religion, birth or social class.
Later, in May 2018, L’Oreal and Maison Valentino announced a long-term global licensing agreement for the development, creation and distribution of perfumes and cosmetics.
In January of 2026, Valentino Garavani passed peacefully in Rome, Italy. He was ninety-three years old.
Perfume
Valentino began releasing perfume in the late 1970s. Their first signature scent, named Valentino which was also known as Valentino di Valentino,was officially launched in 1978. It was a floral green scent created for women. Valentino presented their first fragrance at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris, where they distributed 1,000 bottles to guests. Valentino expanded their perfume collection further in 1991 with Vendetta and Very Valentino in the late 1990s.
Valentino began to release the Born in Roma perfume line in 2019 as a tribute to Rome. The perfume bottles are designed in such a way that they give a feel of Rome mixing both the past and present to coexist with one another. The fragrance was created to tell a story of self-expression where people today are able to live freely while embracing their heritage. Born in Roma is a part of the fragrance family of amber floral with key notes of cashmeran, sambac jasmine and vanilla. Beginning with notes of jasmine sambac, an iconic luxury ingredient in perfumes, this scent has been a staple of femininity for centuries. The vibrant heart of the fragrance is the woody scent of cashmeran. This is an unusually spicy note which adds a layer to the fragrance that allows for a lively turn to its note. The finishing notes of vanilla bourbon bring a leathery, rich smoky aspect into the fragrance. It is carnal, sensual, spicy and distinctive, bringing an irreverent twist to Born in Roma. This warm floral scent is perfect for both the winter and fall seasons.
The bottle for Born in Roma is a tribute to the iconic Valentino Rockstud. The design is an edgy pyramidal design inspired by Roman architecture, a house signature of Maison Valentino. The edgy-rock studded bottle has become even more modern with the contrast of black leather and a vivid pink. Maison Valentino believes pink is punk, poetic and romantic but is also bold and daring. Born in Roma Donna is offered in a 10ml petit iconic Valentino Rock studded bottle with a protective vibrant pink rubber sleeve for travel. Born in Roma was designed for a generation who values personalities, diversity and likes to celebrate with their crew.
Cologne
Valentino began releasing cologne in 1991 with the scents of Vendetta and Very Valentino for Men (1999.) Valentino signed a licensing agreement with Puig in 2010. This agreement led to popular modern scents such as the Valentino Uomo line and Valentina in 2011.
The Born in Roma Uomo eau de toilette line is the male fragrance that accompanies the Born in Roma Donna fragrance. Born in Roma Uomo is a woody aromatic fragrance, it contains notes of spicy ginger and mineral salt with a twist of the class signature of aromatic sage and smoked vetiver. Once again this bottle pays tribute to the iconic Valentino Rockstud, but this time the bottle is black and the Valentino label is pink.
SUstainability
At Valentino the company believes “THERE IS NO BEAUTY WITHOUT RESPECT.” Valentino continues to respect the world we are so fortunate to call home through multiple sustainability initiatives. Valentino joined the ZHDC Foundation in May of 2024. This commitment means the company must use sustainable chemical management. ZHDC also provides a framework for sustainable chemical management within the fashion industry and works to reduce negative environmental impacts through sludge, wastewater and emissions management. ZHDC provides a similar and publicly available guideline for the textile and fashion industry to protect workers, communities and the environment. Joining this foundation represents a significant step in Valentino’s sustainability commitment: a collaborative effort with the supply chain on chemical management. They possess a systematic vision, which is a key element for a more responsible production.
Valentino’s Sleeping Stock project reawakens “dormant” fabrics such as chiffon and taffeta through creative upcycling. Valentino launched a partnership with the French textile reseller Tissu Market in 2021. This partnership allowed for new life to Valentino’s unused Haute Couture materials, which were originally preserved in the Atelier. Presently, around 22,000 meters of fabric have been repurposed, which if they had been produced would have generated the emissions of approximately 265 tons of CO2 and consumed over 1.1 million cubic meters of water. This is the equivalent of 442 olympic pools. These upcycled fabrics are now distributed to theater and film productions, fashion schools and opera houses. In April 2023, the project entered a new beginning through a collaboration with Vogue Italia during Milan Design Week. More than eighty meters of archive fabrics were donated to the vogue closet, where renowned artists Georg Haberler, Giada Yeya Montomoli and Thomas De Falco reinterpreted them into unique textile artworks.
In the year 2022, sixty tons of recycled glass were used for the Born in Roma collection while working in collaboration with research and development teams. Valentino Beauty’s goal is to continue to increase the amount of recycled glass in fragrance bottles. Seventy-five percent of the products sold from Valentino Beauty’s makeup collection are either refillable or are actual refills. Valentino holds themselves to the highest standards of the fashion industry as well as being inclined to help the world that we call home.