Remembering Valentino: How the fashion icon shaped the runway and red carpet for 60 years

"Valentino, who died on Monday at 93, leaves a lasting legacy full of celebrities, glamour and, in his words, knowing what women want: " to be beautiful ". The Italian fashion powerhouse has secured his dream of making a lasting impact, outliving Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Valentino was known for his unique blend between the bold and colourful Italian fashion and the elegant French haute couture-the highest level of craftsmanship in fashion, with exceptional detail and strict professional dressmaking standards."

"The blending of these styles to create the signature Valentino silhouette made his style distinctive. Valentino's style was reserved, and over his career, he built upon the haute couture skills he had developed, maintaining his signature style while he led his fashion house for five decades. But he was certainly not without his own controversial views on beauty for women."

"Born in Voghera, Italy, in 1932, Valentino Clemente Ludovico began his career early, knowing from a young age he would pursue fashion. He drew from a young age and studied fashion drawing at Santa Marta Institute of Fashion Drawing in Milan before honing his technical design skills at École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the fashion trade association, in Paris."

Valentino died at 93 and left a legacy of celebrities, glamour, and a philosophy that women want "to be beautiful." He outlived Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. He combined bold, colourful Italian fashion with elegant French haute couture, emphasizing exceptional detail and strict professional dressmaking standards. That blend created the signature Valentino silhouette and made his style distinctive. His style remained reserved while he built and maintained haute couture skills across five decades leading his fashion house. He also held controversial views on beauty for women. He was born in Voghera in 1932 and trained in Milan and at the École de la Chambre Syndicale in Paris.

Read at Fast Company