L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 4 T h e E m p e r o r o f F a s h i o n . That is how Ital- ian newspapers h a v e b e e n describing Valentino, the designer who dressed style i c o n s t h a t d e f i n e d e n t i r e eras, from Elizabeth Taylor to Audrey Hepburn, from Joan Collins to Jane Fonda, from Sharon Stone to Jen- n i f e r L o p e z , a s w e l l a s supermodels such as Clau- d i a S c h i f f e r a n d N a o m i Campbell. President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella said: " I t a l y l o s e s a s u c c e s s f u l designer, capable of looking beyond trends and conven- tions. The world of fashion o w e s h i m g r e a t i n t u i t i o n a n d e x t r a o r d i n a r y c r e - ations." Italy's ambassador to the United States, Marco Peronaci, wrote: "Valenti- n o d i d n o t s i m p l y d r e s s America; he shaped its idea of elegance. From Jackie Kennedy to the red carpets of Hollywood, his vision of timeless glamour became part of American cultural h i s t o r y . H e w a s a t r u e ambassador of Italian fash- ion, creativity, and entre- preneurship." Just four months after t h e d e a t h o f G i o r g i o Armani, the other giant of Made in Italy fashion who passed away at 91, another defining name has left us. Valentino carried Italy into the world by shaping taste, elegance, obsessive atten- tion to detail, and a level of s a r t o r i a l m a s t e r y t h a t approached perfection. He also defined an enduring idea of feminine beauty and even gave an unmistakable name to the signature color o f h i s s t y l e : V a l e n t i n o red. From his debut collec- tion in 1959, the shade now known as Pantone 2035 Up b e c a m e h i s h a l l m a r k . A vibrant, regal red born from an impression that stayed w i t h h i m a f t e r s e e i n g a woman in a red velvet dress at the opera in Barcelona: s h e s t o o d o u t f r o m t h e crowd for her presence and vitality. It was not simply a dress, but an apparition. For Valentino, it was also a moment of stylistic insight. "Red is a color that brings me back to my youth," he often explained, but also to the energy that drove his creative process: "When a w o m a n w e a r s o n e o f m y dresses, I want everyone who turns to look at her to think: how beautiful!" I n h i s h o n o r , V o g u e I t a l i a t u r n e d i t s c o v e r entirely red for a collectible issue – ça va sans dire – a tribute to "the color that changed the history of fash- ion." A n o t h e r u n m i s t a k a b l e symbol of his refined iden- tity was the V of his name, introduced with the historic 1968 collection. It appeared in prints and accessories, from the belt often worn by Jackie Kennedy to the icon- ic gown Julia Roberts wore to accept the Oscar for Best Actress in 2001, widely con- sidered one of the greatest red-carpet looks of all time. Two white straps traced a delicate silhouette against bare skin and the black of a 1992 haute couture dress, forming the now-iconic V neckline. Paper and pencil, and an innate creativity. Born in Voghera, Lombardy, in May 1 9 3 2 , V a l e n t i n o p a s s e d away at 93 in his luxurious villa along Rome's Appian Way. His passion for art and fashion led him early to study in Milan and Paris, where at just 17 he attended the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, before working with Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche. In the 1950s, he was in Rome – o n V i a V e n e t o , a t t h e height of La Dolce Vita – as an assistant to Emilio Schu- b e r t h , t h e " t a i l o r o f t h e divas." His first collection d e b u t e d i n 1 9 5 9 ; a y e a r later he opened his atelier on Via Condotti and found- ed his fashion house with the support of his lifelong p a r t n e r , G i a n c a r l o Giammetti, who oversaw the business side. Interna- t i o n a l r e c o g n i t i o n c a m e with the celebrated 1962 f a s h i o n s h o w a t P a l a z z o Pitti in Florence. Hollywood soon followed, led by Eliza- beth Taylor. After the all- white collection of 1968, the American press crowned him "The Chic." Valentino left an indeli- ble mark on the runways of M i l a n a n d P a r i s , w h i l e never losing his strong con- nection to New York, which h e f r e q u e n t e d f r o m t h e 1 9 7 0 s o n w a r d , f o r m i n g close friendships with fig- V a l e n t i n o : a f i n a l s a l u t e t o t h e m a n w h o ruled elegance BARBARA MINAFRA NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 Valentino Garavani was born in Voghera in 1932 (Photo: Joe Seer/Shutterstock)

• Cover