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Valentino: 10 things you didn't know
Fashion legend Valentino celebrates 45 years of making women look and feel beautiful.
By Rebecca Lowthorpe
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Valentino, as he is simply known to the world, is a bona fide fashion legend. Every inch of him, from his immovable hairdo to his signature year-round tan, epitomizes the Valentino brand: flawlessly groomed, classically glamorous and rich -- very, very rich. To celebrate his 45 years in the business, the 75-year-old designer kicked off a season of events that included couture shows, black-tie dinners, retrospective exhibits, a book and even a documentary.
Earlier this fall, Valentino announced that he will retire as head designer in January. Before he leaves the stage, ELLE asked fashion's grandmaster to reveal his take on luxury, his celeb clientele and his possible successor.
1. His legendary status
"After 45 years, when they say I'm a legend I feel very cross," says Valentino. "I do my work with lots of joy, spring and festivity. I don't feel like an old designer at all."
2. His secret of success
"The first and most important thing is that I try my hardest -- with all my passion -- to make a woman look beautiful and make dresses that are flattering to her body," he says. "A woman must feel like she has a glow."
3. His homes
Valentino has five homes: an apartment in Manhattan; a villa in Rome; a mansion in London; a Louis XIII château near Versailles, just outside of Paris; and Chalet Gifferhorn in Gstaad, Switzerland. The designer also enjoys vacations aboard his 46-metre yacht, TM Blue, cruising to a different Mediterranean port every weekend in June and July. Given his lifestyle, you might imagine Valentino's taste to be a little on the showy side, but, despite the fact that every surface in his London home is covered with books, sculptures and even large ceramic dogs, nothing looks too flashy. Everything is perfectly symmetrical: a footstool for each chair, a Damien Hirst for each wall and, if they were here, an armchair for each dog. (Milton, Maude, Monty, Margot and Molly are his beloved pugs.)
4. His greatest luxury
"I have beautiful flowers, beautiful paintings, beautiful objects and beautiful staff," he says. "For me, the most luxurious thing is to have a lot of staff." In fact, a staff of nearly 50 is employed to maintain all of his properties. "When I travel, I move three or four staff members with me," he says. "For me, it's the most luxurious thing -- when I look around, I see perfection." Even his green tea arrives courtesy of two perfectly coordinated waiters: the first, bearing a silver tray with a silver teapot and dainty china, wears a large diamond in his ear; the second, carrying a silver tray with a single pot of honey on it, delivers a quick bow before slipping out the door.
More Valentino facts on the next page!
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Image courtesy of WireImage.com
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