It was with teary eyes that the fashion world waved farewell to one of its most prominent designers last month. Valentino Garavini, 75, renowned for his elegant style and especially for his signature red dresses, held his final show at the Musée Rodin in Paris, France, on January 23 to an audience that included Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, designers Miuccia Prada, Emanuel Ungaro, Alber Elbaz, and supermodels Claudia Schiffer and Eva Herzigova.

The fall winter haute couture show was marked with stunning designs including classic jackets reminiscent of the 60’s, giant hats and bow-like headdresses, long gloves, floral patterns and accents, pastel as well as bold colors, a variety of intriguing textures, sweeping gowns, bows, sleek lines, and many inventive folds. His designs ranged from the sophisticated to the extravagant to the simple, but they were all to die for. He kept from his signature red until the end, when the models walked out in uniform dresses and Valentino emerged to receive his standing ovation before the red backdrop.

Valentino had left for Paris to study fashion when he was only 17, afterwards learning through his work with Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche. He created his own line in Italy when he was in his late 20’s. He has always held the belief that fashion should embrace women’s femininity. As Reuters noted, Valentino once stated, “I love women. I’ve always tried to make them look very sexy, very glamorous.” The designs at his final show certainly went beyond praising the feminine figure.

During his 45 years as a fashion designer, he has dressed the celebrities, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Julia Roberts, not to mention many others who have worn his designs on the red carpet.

Valentino held a grand party for his label’s 45th anniversary last July, which really celebrated his career. Now, Alessandra Facchinetti, formerly of Gucci, will continue the Valentino label. But this is not the end for the designer. He’s planning a Valentino museum and hopes to design costumes for operas in the future.

Though his reign on the catwalk is over, Valentino has ended his career in the industry with a most memorable flourish that puts the perfect finishing touch on his work, as is fitting for a name synonymous with fashion.

Some information was gathered from Wikipedia (“Valentino Garavini,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentino_Garavani) and Vogue (“Who’s Who; Valentino,” http://www.vogue.co.uk/whos_who/Valentino/default.html)

The entire show can be viewed here.

These are some highlights from the show.

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