Valentino refused to use the runway to make artistic statements, and was often baffled by what he saw as unwearable designs from other fashion houses. The following year, Valentino began the most significant relationship of his professional and personal life when he met an architecture student named Giancarlo Giammetti. In “The Last Emperor,” Giammetti estimated that in 45 years, he’d been apart from Valentino for maybe two months. Giammetti turned out to have as deft a hand with the business of high fashion as Valentino had with taffeta and lace. “Valentino gets better and more sure of himself all the time,” Giammetti told Vogue.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 19, 2026 18:32 UTC