Grande Storia Italiana

First name in fashion: The glamorous life and work of Valentino Garavani Think Valentino: think luxury. Think elegance. Think red carpet. Fashion's most beloved upholder of refined decadence and the most exciting couturier in business is known around the globe simply by his first name. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, Valentino was already at the height of success, counting Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees. Over forty years later, not much has changed'he's still dressing the top celebrities, from Gwyneth Paltrow to J.Lo, though now his business is a major economic force in Italy and his fashion house is among the most famous in the world. Valentino has always designed clothes for glamorous and sophisticated women, never wavering from his signature style even when grunge, deconstruction, and other passing fads were all the rage. Though his couture division almost never makes a profit (his ready-to-wear lines are what fuel the business), his heart is most solidly devoted to the magnificent haute couture gowns that earned him his reputation as fashion's most talented dressmaker. This luxurious limited-edition publication renders homage to Valentino's illustrious career via a copious selection of images from his archives, including drawings, magazine shoots, advertisements, portraits of Valentino, and documentary photographs; presented chronologically, the visual material is accompanied by a vast array of newspaper and magazine articles about Valentino throughout the years. Text also includes Vanity Fair writer Matt Tyrnauer's interviews with twenty of Valentino's closest collaborators and friends as well as anappreciation of Valentino by International Herald Tribune's fashion writer Suzy Menkes. All of these elements add up to an in-depth look at the man, his lifestyle, and his genius'a book more comprehensive and stunning than one could hardly dare to dream of. After all, what could be a more fitting tribute to the work of Valentino than a book as beautiful and luxurious as one of his gowns? The Art Edition is limited to 100 individually numbered copies, each signed by Valentino. Each book is accompanied by four prints of original drawings from the 1950s and 1960s, all signed by Valentino and authenticated with a stamp on the back. It is finished in an elegant book cloth with six-color silk-screen printing and comes in a clamshell box finished in silk cloth. Many famous friends of Valentino and celebrated fashion experts contributed to this book with very personal texts: Graydon Carter from Vanity Fair; Vicomtesse Jacqueline de Ribes, French Socialite; Farah Diba, widow of the late Shah of Iran; Rupert Everett, English actor; John Fairchild from Women's Wear Daily; Patrick McCarthy from Women's Wear Daily and W; Ingrid Sischy from Interview; Franca Sozzani from Vogue Italia; Anna Wintour from Vogue USA.Menkes, Suzy is the author of 'Grande Storia Italiana', published 2007 under ISBN 9783836501606 and ISBN 3836501600.