PARIS
Valentino.
Should we do her in fur?
No, no, no.
Valentino.
Absolutely not.
How does it feel being the only designer in the world
who has managed to last 45 years?
I feel wonderful.
Do you ever think of retiring
- and giving up? - Well, maybe one day certainly.
How would you define, in one word,
your choice to live in another man's shadow?
Even a significant one.
Happiness.
How long have you, Matteo Marzotto,
owned Valentino?
I acquired it
June 30, 2002.
I'll expect you all in July
for my big return to Rome.
Are you happy to celebrate
- 45 years in Rome? - Yes, very much.
They should go out.
Why do they stay here?
What is the idea of glamour?
This is in my blood, you know.
What I have to do?
Like I love a beautiful lady,
I love a beautiful dog, I love a beautiful piece of furniture.
I love beauty. It's not my fault.
What do women want?
Yeah, I know, I know, I know what women want.
What do they want?
They want to be beautiful.
Wonderful, wonderful. Wonderful.
Forty-five years later,
and Valentino is still leading the way in glamour.
Sexy, molto.
I had a hard-on the whole time.
Valentino's Haute Couture show has sparked rumours
Valentino may be about to retire.
But the designer, who's in his 70s, denied it.
And it was quite moving as well, the show.
I hope it won't be his last one.
And everyone was standing up and cheering
and I think he felt very emotional.
So beautiful. So beautiful.
Valentino told us a story, and it still is a good story.
It is like a book. You read a chapter and go on,
and we want to arrive it to a good ending.
There's a small problem.
The dogs are taking up two seats.
Okay, we'll take two dogs.
Who is going to hold this for me?
You see, the draping goes like this.
Like that.
And the same thing on the other side.
Here you have the bow.
And underneath,
the pleating comes down like this.
- Did you understand? - Yes.
So when it's ready, we'll try it.
Everything by hand.
Once we bought a sewing machine.
One machine for a hundred seamstresses.
No one ever used it.
It's a world that people don't know about.
You have to be born with Haute Couture,
because you don't learn it in fashion school.
Was there ever a time, Valentino,
when you didn't want to be in fashion?
- No. - You could never remember...?
I mean, even you never wanted to be like a fireman,
or a train driver?
No, no, no.
I remember very well when I was young,
- I was faking to sleep. - Pretending to sleep.
And I was dreaming,
dreaming about movie stars,
dreaming about everything beautiful in the world.
My mother used to say, "You are a dreamer."
"You always dream, dream, dream, dream
about stupid things," she used to say.
I was always so attracted
by magazines, by films.
I had a sister, and she took me for the first time
to see some films.
And to me, the dream of my life
was to see those beautiful ladies of the silver screen.
I remember Ziegfeld girl...
Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner,
Judy Garland, Jimmy Stewart.
You know, for me, a young guy of 13,
to see this sort of beauty,
I think from that moment
I decided I want to create clothes for ladies.
You didn't even undo this.
Where did you go?
Everything is undone underneath here.
Didn't you see this was becoming a mess?
How many times do I need to explain?
I'm really fed up.
Really fed up.
Where is it? I can't wait here all day.
We only have three days to Paris.
They're not answering.
Give it to me.
If he gets angry, it'll be even worse.
Where do you take it out from?
Go up and see if she's coming.
Oh, finally, it's Michela.
Is she coming down? Thank you.
So Antonietta is getting the shoes.
Let's prepare the dress with the paper.
I don't care about the paper, I'll take it like this.
It's going to get caught in the chair!
I don't care! I'm pissed off now.
Antonietta, hang on a second.
- Calm down. - No, I don't care.
You have to call Mr. Giammetti.
Because he wants to see this.
What can we do to get rid of these?
If I do it now, it will fall apart.
Oh, you're almost at the end of the fabric.
Yes.
That's what I call an evening gown.
- For evening? - Yes.
No, daytime.
It's a bit opaque in the front, the skirt.
It's two different thicknesses!
You can see right through it.
Don't get carried away.
No, but...
Excuse me, I can see her legs!
I can see her legs even under these lights.
I make dresses for women who actually wear them.
Tomorrow I have to do more fittings
for the collection.
Yesterday morning, I woke up
and I had this dress on my mind.
A white dress that I would like to do.
Something very playful.
- Short or long? - No, long, long.
- It's nice here. - Beautiful.
We'll stop on Via Veneto for a second.
- Via Veneto, no! - Yes!
- What for? - For a coffee.
We can tell the story of how we met.
No. No.
But it's important! Everything began there.
No, no, no, no. I'm not interested.
It's my nature, you know.
I only remember the things
I want to remember.
I don't recognize any of these stores anymore.
But Gargani is still here.
I haven't walked on Via Veneto
since the days of La Dolce Vita.
La Dolce Vita was very, very early,
and it was in the middle of the 50s,
close to the 60s.
Via Veneto was the place where you'd stay at night
and watch all the famous people passing by.
And the famous people were Sophia Loren, Anita Ekberg,
Elizabeth Taylor.
You know, important people come here,
they make news, we take pictures...
I was in Rome for a very, very short time.
Yes, there were a few pictures of me around.
So there was a lot of publicity about this young, young designer
arriving from Paris and opening this grand...
Because when Valentino started,
he thought that fashion should be like in Paris:
so a huge house, models arriving from France.
This is not Cafe de Paris.
It was the 31st of July, 1960,
and I was sitting at this table
in a very, very crowded cafe,
which was the Cafe De Paris, as it was called.
Suddenly, somebody came to me and said "Are you alone?"
I said "Yes." "Oh, would you mind if we sit?
We are three friends here."
He said "I've seen your pictures
on the cover of the magazine.
I would love to see your fashion house."
And he came, and it was my first fashion house.
I am positive
it's here that we met,
because you stayed here,
and I went to get the car...
I drove around, and I picked you up here.
The second reason is,
my father had an open account here,
so I always came here when I had no money.
I'm sorry, but I remember
it was the bar across the street.
In September, we all came back from vacation
I understand
that Valentino had problems
because the company went bankrupt.
The first Valentino company.
And that's when I arrived but I didn't have any experience.
I was just a student.
I had a little, maybe,
better good sense than Valentino,
better understanding about
3 plus 3 makes 6.
And strange enough, the moment that we met,
the moment that we start
to work together,
luck changed completely.
When did you realize that your moment had come?
It was a few years ago,
when many ladies from the international society,
beautiful and important ladies,
decided to dress with my clothes.
This is the case with Mrs. Kennedy,
whom I've been dressing for two years now,
and I do her entire wardrobe.
And in '68, I did a white, white collection.
All the magazines, Time, Life,
they wrote fantastic articles about it.
This was my beginning, the beginning of my career.
with all the silver screen movie stars.
A short strap of tulle here,
with three or four volants
that start large on top
and finish thin where it meets the bustier.
I want to put the belt here
with a diamond feather.
Very beautiful, okay?
How long will it take you to cut the strips?
Tomorrow we'll try them all to see the full effect.
- Day after tomorrow? - Yes.
So they should all start from here?
Five in the front and five in the back.
One, two,
three, four...
It starts from the center.
One, two, three...
One, two...
No, you got it wrong.
One, two, three
and four...
Nine, so they're divided evenly.
Twenty strips in total... No, 18.
Yes, but it'll be astonishing...
Astonishing...
We need to discuss briefly
the background for the high fashion show.
There it is.
So this was sent
and now, we'll see it in Paris.
But remember that every strip will be decorated
by millions of silver sequins.
- That one? - Yes.
That's the beauty of it, all these sparkling sequins.
But how will they do it?
They'll put them one by one, all by hand.
Superb...
Look in the mirror!
I think it's the most beautiful dress of the collection.
This is the dress that I wake up early in the morning
and I was pissed off because I didn't like the previous dress,
and I changed it for this one, you see.
The last minute...
The last minute
you did a miracle of the collection.
No, but you must see it in the mirror.
Look at your masterpiece!
Your most beautiful dress ever.
Look for a second. Isn't it divine?
It's beautiful like this even without the sequins.
It's so beautiful that maybe we don't need the sequins.
You already have the effect.
Look at the movement!
What should we do?
Without?
Girls, but some sequins can't hurt.
Just a little, not much.
I must see at least one strip with sequins
by 4:00 tomorrow.
You're in charge of that.
And then I will decide if I like it or not.
We'll do one by hand.
- I'll hold it for you. - Yes.
- It looks incredible. - Incredible.
Frankly, I don't dislike it
when some strips are missing.
I don't dislike it.
It makes it more light.
I would leave the front like that
and group them by two in the back.
And in the front, I would continue.
Incredible.
Thank you. See you in Paris.
Thank you.
Good morning. How are you all?
Why didn't you do this before, Maddelana?
This was the most important thing.
This should have been stitched better.
It's a full day's work!
Why didn't you do it sooner?
You're all old ladies,
and you still don't know how to handle yourselves.
This really makes me crazy.
Really insane.
Now I don't need anything!
It should've been done sooner.
Good morning.
Good morning, Antonietta.
Where is dress number 70?
They aren't leaving yet.
- What number is that? - Seventy-four.
This is the last piece.
We are done.
They will film Monsieur in five minutes
and then be ready.
No, Monsieur is leaving right now.
Put it inside the car!
Okay.
Sometimes I don't know which language I'm speaking anymore.
Strange.
Go away. Go away, go away.
Where is Princess Rosario?
She's already gone into Paris. She'll meet you for lunch.
- But Bruno's coming? - He's in the car.
- Where in the car? - No, Bruno...
- They're staying here, sir. - They're staying here?
You don't need anyone, do you?
- Okay. - Got that part done.
This is my partner, Matteo Marzotto.
Of course, you met him, and know about him.
Can you lower the music a second?
And we get along very well.
I make him spend a lot of money.
That's right.
And I teach him one good lesson.
At least every day, one every day.
I've been always tempted to sell the business
to someone who could run it with me, help me.
The business was getting enormous, enormous, enormous.
So I was always thinking, "Maybe I'm not good enough,
I'm not rich enough. I'm not smart enough."
So I was always thinking and listening to people- -
"Oh, why don't you associate with me?
Why don't we buy the company?"
And indeed in 1998,
among emotional tears,
the company is sold to HDP Corp,
who sold it only four years later
to the Marzotto group.
The new owners gave Matteo Marzotto,
the president of the company,
all financial decisions.
I think Giancarlo understood the market
and sold the company exactly at the right time.
This a really tough cookie, you know.
We have had the most bloody,
most terrible fights, me and him.
He can be such a difficult guy,
as well as being a very sweet one.
But I don't think Valentino would have been the same
without Giancarlo.
Not even a half,
and not even one third of it.
Try to think how long is this relationship,
which is 365 days a year,
24 hours since 50 years.
I mean, this is unique.
And you cannot even say
it's for the money,
for the power, for the what?
There are two strips missing, no?
I did it on purpose. It was too much.
It looks like two holes.
Do you have two extra strips?
Then put them in the back here.
One here and one there.
You're a pain in the ass.
It looked fine without the strips.
There are two holes.
If you don't like, we won't put them.
Just because someone else said it.
I left two holes on purpose,
not to have strips all around.
But put them back,
if people are going to faint over the matter.
The most beautiful gown, and you make such a mess.
It's beautiful, anyway.
Look, Sergio.
I would like to recreate this kind of atmosphere.
This is a collection from 1967.
I've seen this picture before!
It's famous.
We had filled the press room
with semolina.
We'll make the dunes a little bigger on the stage.
Enzo, come here for a second.
I see two tits,
I don't see two dunes.
It's a little too...
It's a little harsh like this.
Make it softer, less boom boom.
This one is the little dune.
Here comes the big one.
Listen. it's too late now,
but are you sure about the sand?
- What? - The sand on the stage.
It looks like Marilyn Monroe is about to come out
with Jack Lemmon running after her.
Please.
It would have made sense
if I made light pants,
Saharan jackets, etc.
But this collection is all about romanticism,
and you give me sand.
It'll be beautiful.
But that's not the question!
The problem is that it does not go with the clothes.
All right, but...
Once you get an idea in your head...
And you're not stubborn?
Almost never...
- Maybe sometimes. - Of course, never.
Just imagine...
Usually you ask me first.
This sand idea is ridiculous.
Your belly is showing.
No, I don't have a belly. I don't look fat.
Look at you with your three layers.
You will see. People will say it.
We're just missing the rifles.
- What will people say? - Rifles and a lion.
What are you saying?
It's a very light collection, so...
With a beach of sand?
The lightness, the beach...
Not a beach, a desert!
A desert. That's even worse...
Camels with veils up to here.
We'll see what she says.
You have to say the truth, okay?
Many, many years ago, when we started my career,
we did a beautiful...
- It's too long, this story. - Ah, it's too long.
You go away, you're scared.
You know, I'm still amazed
when Valentino arrives to the show
and to see a set.
Yeah, he pass by, "Oh nice!"
"Do you like?" "Yes" and he goes.
I mean, the problems do not touch him.
He doesn't realize really
the work behind this business,
behind a sketch and a dress.
He's already working on the hair.
Since you haven't yet discussed it with him...
I told him to start one chignon.
But he also wants to try something else.
Very Guy Bourdin...
A girl with a strong look.
The hair all up and blown out?
- If you're in that mood... - But I don't want that.
Look at it first. It's really artistic.
If you haven't slept and you're in a bad mood...
No Guy Bourdin.
I want a chignon with this collection.
It gets worse everyday.
So, what you would love to do?
I'm gonna do something a bit more edgy
and big and wild,
kind of Guy Bourdin-ish.
You don't like chignons?
I mean, I was going to try a chignon.
But I was thinking something a little bit more edgy.
I don't want a crazy girl.
I want beautiful but something strong also.
This... You do all this twirl...
Yeah, volume, but there's kind of a softness.
But it's extreme because it's big.
Then if a fly gets in...
it's lost forever.
This girl with the red chignon, but the other one, no.
To be with Valentino as a friend, as a lover,
as a... As an employee
is a bit the same...
You need a lot of patience.
Listen. Can I talk to you for a second?
You just brushed me away like this.
Cheri, please, a bomb is going to explode here.
Look at my hand shaking!
I've been working for 40 hours straight.
I don't give a damn.
I'm working 40 hours in Paris too.
- I'm infuriated... - You have the camera behind you.
I don't care.
That camera, if it keeps on screwing around,
I'm out of the film.
- Which camera? - That camera there.
This is why you called me?
No, I called you because
during the collection, they can't follow whomever.
They have to follow me!
Who are "they"?
Everyone!
- Why did you call me? - Why? Because I see
nothing gets done here.
People have to be on their knees in front of me!
Can we see the sun moving?
It's beautiful now.
You'll see with the light tonight...
It's a fantasy.
Once Mr. Valentino has seen them,
we'll take them out.
So, what do you think of the stage?
Beautiful.
Merry Christmas.
Already?
- Will it fit? - It fits me.
- I put this underneath? - Yes, underneath.
Fantastic.
It will be great for the new year.
How are you? Happy New Year.
You know, it's every season we bite our nails thinking,
"Could this be the last one he's gonna do?
Because he deserves to take some time off now but..."
We'll see, we'll see.
I can understand when Valentino gets nervous
if someone is too much asking about his future.
- We are just one hour, eh? - We are gonna make it.
- One hour. - One hour.
Valentino is the last couturier.
He's the real thing.
But if there will be soon a day in which he says,
"I want to slow down," I'd understand it.
Valentino as an icon
has to decide what to do.
And only himself can decide.
But I have to find
the right Valentino of the future.
We can bring the clothes here
so you can do the interview.
But I already did the interview.
Giancarlo, leave me alone for a minute.
We'll do one after another, okay?
Why the dunes? Why the desert?
The desert is a sort of reminiscence
of Giancarlo Giammetti and myself.
He was the first to come up with
fashion advertising campaigns.
And our very first campaign
was all pastel colours
in a landscape of dunes.
Hold on a minute, this is a mess!
Can you send them in order, please?
Where are they now?
I come out now?
Giorgio Armani.
Karl Lagerfeld was the first.
I got roses last evening with a beautiful letter,
fantastic and now,
I start to receive flowers
and they say, "Nobody from Italy?"
and I said, "No, not yet," and now, it's Giorgio Armani.
Are you ready for your award ceremony?
Of course.
Do you have your speech?
I wrote it the other night.
Good morning, Mr. Minister.
Do you mention Giammetti?
Just a little at the end.
Don't forget, your secretary's son
just graduated from college.
In your speech,
you should thank everyone
who came today.
The French Republic is glad to present you
with the Legion of Honor.
Many friends and collaborators
have followed me though my career,
and I would like to mention them.
And many others I could mention
if I had more time.
But my gratitude...
But my gratitude goes
especially to Giancarlo Giammetti.
My partner from the very beginning...
who stayed by my side all these years.
I want to thank him personally...
from the bottom of my heart.
- Everything is ready. - Now it's cold.
I've ordered the heaters. They'll be here this afternoon.
Just to be on the safe side.
Mr. Valentino, the two far tables,
we've had to use those chairs.
Michael.
Gwyneth, how are you? Let's not delay.
Look at this weather.
Stop fighting over this beautiful lady.
We're having Apple tomorrow evening?
- Yes, you are. - Great.
It's Joan Collins.
I've seen you in the... I've seen you in the papers.
Seen him in the papers?
Oh, that's wonderful.
Oh, I'll have some champagne.
Yes, congratulations
to Signore Valentino Garavani.
We all feel that Valentino so deserves this award,
as you do too.
I got half of it, I'm sure. I feel.
Everybody is asking if you can cut those off.
- But what if it rains again? - No, it won't.
They want to cut open the plastic...
Yes, but not until you're in there.
No, they're asking. They want to do it now.
Because it's very warm inside.
The Comtesse de Ribes brought her own vodka.
Look, it's there!
Can you bear not to be here all year to see it?
When I stop working.
You will spend more time home. But you won't stop working.
I don't know. One day, I don't know.
The thing is, you can't work a bit, can you?
You either have to do it, or not do it.
Many collections or nothing.
It's dangerous always for people who work so hard.
I know from my mother who worked very hard.
I was scared when she stopped working.
I thought she would have a problem.
But she doesn't?
You just be Valentino, she's now Mrs. Nayar.
All day is doing what she was doing but without the business,
it's house, and it's friends.
When I'm in a city for a little while.
But I'm never more than 3 or 4 days.
No, I know. For 50 years,
you've probably been doing that. Running, running.
It's always so rough.
My future, I don't know really what's going on.
I am a little confused.
I live day by day.
I love to, certainly,
to prepare my collection.
But you know, I am so interested
in so many other things
that it is a pity not to have the time
to take care also.
Of course, Valentino created a world to himself
and he wants to stay in that world.
You have to choose between
going on until the end of your life
or until somebody tell you,
you know, we need somebody else now,
or, you decide to go.
It is a difficult step.
The market is asking us to make different things.
We have to change.
This is the job. The job is changing, have new ideas.
And I'm not sure Valentino wants,
really wants to change his, you know,
own lifestyle after so many years.
It's classic. Very beautiful.
After so many decade, after so much work,
after so much freedom,
you can imagine me accepting
Marzotto telling me, "You are not to do this
you are not to do that." I would eat them.
Valentino is above control.
Valentino is above
partnership decision.
Valentino doesn't care. Valentino does what he wants.
Valentino is Valentino.
So we are here to talk about
July, 2007.
Forty-five years of career...
A celebration of 45 years
of Valentino's career.
And my 40th birthday, which is more important.
So on the first day,
we'll have the retrospective,
but it has to be different from the others.
I don't want a wax museum.
I want it to be the biggest event
in the history of fashion.
I want everyone to remember it.
And of course we need
a prestigious location.
Where is Mr. Valentino?
Mrs. And Dr. Festi.
For your retrospective show,
from your first day to the last,
which is never, but let's say up to now,
we're talking about a big party for...
How many people?
200,000 people. Plus our friends...
Six hundred VIP guests.
Something like a rock concert.
A luxurious atmosphere
with trolleys of finger food,
wurst sausage, hamburgers...
veg food.
There will be two gigantic chandeliers
coming down illuminated
with ten of your most iconic dresses on each.
So it's like Cirque du Soleil?
With 200,000 people, for the first time in the world.
I wouldn't want such an important event
to be too much like a circus.
Like a circus.
You know, Ara Pacis is this modern museum
in the center of Rome.
So we arrived in front of the Ara Pacis.
I say, "What is this? It's so horrible."
I say, "Well, let me go inside".
So I went inside, I did six steps
and I called Daniela and I said,
"Daniela, move everything to Rome.
I found the place where to do the retrospective,
it's in Rome."
And then we start all over again in Rome.
Valentino's grand return to Rome.
From July 6 to 8, the eternal city will celebrate
45 years of his career.
Grand return. Eternal presence.
Valentino is planning a celebration
worthy of the Sun King!
Three days of celebration!
Dinners, runway show and exhibit
will take place in honour of Valentino,
the creator of the famous "Valentino Red,"
who reigns indisputably over Italian Couture.
For me, this part has to have a lot of dresses in it.
Otherwise, really, we're in trouble with Valentino.
He has told everybody 300 dresses, 300 dresses.
I can't tell him now there will be 220 to 230.
If you're saying there's a magic number,
it's 300 and that's what it has to be,
then we have to find a way of dealing with this.
Valentina, Antonio.
Hello. Hamish. How do you do?
Oh, my God. I can't believe it.
Let's look at the model.
Ristead, did you see this?
So this is the idea, you will arrive here
and you will see all this scene
and then we have to choose one amazing gown for here.
Like a super-iconic thing, like the Julia Roberts thing or something.
Being back in my city
because it's 45 years of my career
I am trying to put together a show
extremely Haute Couture.
A very, very important collection.
This would be for the couture show.
It's amazing, no?
The only bad thing
is this terrible thing they put in the middle.
- This is a much better room. - Okay.
You have to be so brave and so strong
to talk to Valentino.
Well, I mean, that's not difficult.
Not difficult, right. You don't know the gentleman.
But I feel sad to show there.
I don't feel comfortable.
- The entrance is very sad. - But he's going to change...
But you have walls and they're higher than this room.
They are so dirty.
Valentino, because you've never been to
the Beaux Arts in Paris.
It's dirty, disgusting when you get there.
We do couture there.
You've never been in a place before we do the installation.
Don't worry. Trust me.
One spends his whole life dealing with something
that is not working
and turning it into something that is working.
That is what we do.
And you will have your 300 dresses in the Ara Pacis.
The 300 dresses. You still like the Ara Pacis?
I like what's happening to the Ara Pacis,
and I like where we're going.
I think it's going to be...
No, but you know, I never liked Ara Pacis, as you know.
Those little stairs,
and they go down with all these little things,
you look like you are
at Macy's.
He hates the rails.
Well, we don't want to have nasty rails.
- I think it's very beautiful. - So we discussed China...
Not just China, it's Marco Polo's voyage.
More Oriental
than just Chinese.
No.
This is Chinese meets Russian Ballet.
Valentino... fashion...
where he gets a fantasy,
he mixes Russia with China.
That's what I want to explain to our guests.
Something of a fantasy of a couturier.
For the other night, we have this amazing location
where only the Pope can go once a year.
We're thinking more open air night club.
Like a big party.
This is where we're gonna put the columns,
- and the real columns are here. - These are fibreglass, here,
and they are going to change lighting.
Where did you decide to put the bathrooms?
But Valentino just called me from the airport
and said: "If the bathrooms are set up like that,
I'm not coming."
Just to simplify things.
Look!
We've got all these things here.
What should we do, cover the columns?
I'm afraid it's becoming
too much of a Chinese temple.
Why Chinese?
I can tell Valentino's Oriental fantasies...
You said, "The Last Emperor."
The Coliseum turns Valentino Red.
And the flying dancers arrive.
- You like it? - Beautiful. Very beautiful.
Really?
I find it beautiful too.
How much would this show cost?
220 thousand Euros.
We'll give him 200.
I'll take care of it. You're breaking my balls.
Two hundred. End of story.
What is next? The numbers?
Hello.
Good morning.
I'm sorry, but Mr. Valentino is travelling.
He doesn't like to wait. He likes skiing!
So you have to be ready with your sticks in hand.
Then it's non-stop from the top to the bottom.
- I went too fast. - That asshole bumped into me.
He doesn't like very much.
Michael, can you call at home Mr. Giammetti
to see if he's there?
Hello?
Ciao, Giancarlo.
How are you?
I'm well.
Why you don't come here for one day, I mean,
to stay with us? It would be nice.
Okay, ciao. Now, because the two of us,
we speak French most of the time.
When I arrived from France, for me, it was really my second language
and I was much too used to speak French.
So I teach him the French language and after...
I always direct him...
Direct myself to him in French.
I am a special case
because it went for so long,
and in our case, it's probably a miracle
because I've never seen two people so close
for so many years
not being married.
You understand that I've seen Valentino almost every day in my life,
except for maybe in 45 years
a total of two months.
Valentino is an Italian dress designer
whose name is known around the world.
In the 70s and 80s, Valentino and I worked very hard
to grow the company.
and the company became
30-40 times larger.
In the 70s,
we really grew business in a normal way:
selling clothes.
In the 80s, it completely changed.
Licensing.
And then in the 90s,
started the investment of other people.
Today there's another language which is money.
There has been a lot of news about how Valentino needs
more handbags, more belts, more fragrances,
and all the things that are really making most fashion houses all the money.
The runway shows, the Couture shows, they really don't make money.
Those are the image things, they get the name out there,
and then, it's all the other accessories that really bring it all in.
You know, we are from North East of Italy
so we have to take care of figures, not only style.
Today's designer
is more of a manager attitude
than pure creativity.
One of our needs is being on the market
and looking around and try to have an idea
as to what's on the next, let's say.
I've been looking at designers since many, many years.
Almost immediately after we sold the company in 1998.
I knew that one day
Valentino will decide to stop.
You know, Matteo can say anything he wants
but Matteo has no power in this company.
He's a young guy, very simpatico,
I like him as a friend.
but whatever he says
has no value to me.
ROME
An evening dress that reveals
a woman's ankles
while she's walking
is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen.
I've never done it in my entire career.
This is Euro news
with the news on the hour.
Almost 30 % of the Valentino Fashion Group
founded by 75-year-old Valentino Garavani,
has been purchased by private equity firm Permira
for 782 million Euros.
The luxury sector as well as the fashion sector could be affected.
The shares were sold by members of Italy's Marzotto family.
Permira is now the largest investor in Valentino
and says it's looking to buy a larger stake.
Despite the buyout, Matteo Marzotto will be remaining
as chairman of Valentino.
When will we know about the future of Valentino?
I think it is something
that would be very, very fast
with a tender offer,
Stefano Sassi CEO, Valentino Fashion Group
and we're expecting that in 1, up to 2 months,
the Permira group
would be really in charge of everything
and in control of the majority of the company.
Fashion is such a huge business now,
and investment bankers are really determining the future of this.
And Valentino wasn't consulted on any of these developments
that are happening about the sale of the company.
Valentino has a contract through July, as I understand it,
which possibly could be renewed and is likely not to be.
If I were he, I would say,
"Take me out, but only feet first."
It's possible that this company could make the mistake
and take it the way of, you know,
Halston in the past,
or Cardin, which is belt buckles
and duty free handbags and, you know, crapola.
We are in the position to wait and see.
We are sure that if somebody buys
for such a huge amount of money,
they don't want to destroy that kind of
special product
Valentino did all his life...
But that doesn't mean you're going to retire?
- No. - But rumours said that...
Rumours, rumours, they say so many things.
This was the best thing for me,
to design and create dresses.
I always did this. I am not capable of doing anything else.
I am a disaster in everything else.
Nobody knows.
Is he leaving? Staying? Leaving? Staying?
It's all backroom gossip.
Let's hope he stays!
Without Mr. Valentino here...
My first suit. Embroidered suit.
Sixties. This is '66.
- This was Audrey Hepburn. - Right.
- Fantastic. - Yeah, I did for her.
So, what we've tried to do, also, is try to get a lot of early things...
Anne Bass.
To do this embroidery today,
you need to sell an Italian bank.
I know, look at the quality.
Incredible.
So many things I did.
This is Jackie.
If I have to flashback
to all those past decades...
they went so... so...
Like yesterday,
but time...
you become older and older and older,
you don't realize.
This grand event in Rome...
There has been talk about the past.
How does the future look?
This is something that I will decide.
For now, I'm not discussing it.
Do you have a plan for retirement?
Do you plan for retirement?
- Not for the moment. - Not for the moment.
Because people ask why 45th year anniversary's a big deal,
- and why not? - That means...
if you see me today like I am,
it's 45, I can go until 50, 60,
I don't know, forever, okay.
What will happen with Permira?
They are a very serious corporation.
So we certainly
expect growth.
How was I?
Great.
- Tell me the truth. - Okay, I'll tell you...
You look a bit too tan.
Tan? No.
A little less wouldn't hurt.
So now it's too much?
You didn't speak with Matteo at all?
- What? - Matteo. You ignored him?
He said my e-mail was so tough
that he didn't even reply.
We've been fighting really bad words and really, you know,
with a vein like this on the neck, really high pressure.
Now he's trying to say something.
He's like an old lion, you know,
he's trying to roar, like this, but there is no voice.
It's a different way of thinking.
It's more about what is the bottom line.
I never thought this was the way to do business.
I always did business because I want his clothes to be on women,
on men, for Valentino to be famous,
to be happy.
This is the finale?
For the finale, it should be this one.
All in crystal with the pink coat.
Then we go to black.
Giancarlo, I don't want to see these pins around!
I don't care about the collection.
My dogs are much more important.
All the pink ones.
They'll be amazing as a finale.
No red finale for the 45th year?
No, enough with the red!
The red dresses are the most simple and stupid ones.
Eleven girls with two dresses each makes 22.
Twenty-four girls. Is that good for you?
But let's not hire any midgets.
So it's been a long work, this, no?
It's been a one-year work.
And he's very excited I guess, no, Valentino?
Yeah, seems so.
I try as always to leave it to him the nice part of the event
and to keep all the problems for myself.
Permira just confirmed that they are in the process
of acquiring an additional 24%%% stake in Valentino.
According to the Wall Street Journal,
the fate of Valentino is now in the hands of financiers,
and it's unclear whether Valentino would stay on
under a new owner.
Allesandra Facchinetti, who replaced Tom Ford
as Gucci's womenswear designer,
is the frontrunner to succeed Valentino,
should he retire later this summer, according to Women's Wear Daily.
It would be very much the end of an era for many reasons.
There's really no one who can replace or succeed Valentino
because if you weren't learning about Couture in the 1950s
from people who learned the craft in the 1920s,
you're not gonna get any more information.
Valentino will celebrate his 45th anniversary in the biz
with a couture show in Rome on July 6th.
Many believe the anniversary bash
is a sign that Valentino will retire soon.
Valentino has denied those reports.
They will have shoes, all of them.
Yes.
- Yes, you're not sure... - No, no, for sure.
We've been painting the soles.
That last row is a little high.
You don't like it?
Not at all. I think it's terrible.
Imagine it with all the lights.
Yes, but you really have to look up a lot.
You have to look up a lot.
Please stop, I want to say something to Mr. Giammetti.
I don't want to be filmed.
These are my most beautiful dresses.
Tell them yourself.
To me, they answer, "No, it's beautiful."
But what will they do now? It's too late.
Yes, but all of this is going to be...
I am here to decide something very important
and I don't want to be filmed. I'm sorry.
Okay, otherwise I go. And I go. Bye-bye.
No, come here and finish this thing.
It's a shame because
he's so enthusiastic about the other things.
Valentino is very protective of himself.
He doesn't like to confide in anyone.
Ever.
Not even friends...
Few people know about his doubts,
his fears,
his weaknesses.
Therefore,
he has this extraordinary control.
You see my dogs. They're used to pictures.
Come here, come here!
Little idiot.
We have to do damage control
because the situation at the Temple of Venus
has become tragic and will get worse little by little.
Just today there are 5 or 8 extra guests
from Permira.
He was invited to Ara Pacis
but not to the Temple of Venus.
But he has to be invited to the Temple.
Mr. Giammetti told me only Ara Pacis,
but I'll add him.
We must add him because he did the thing...
Let's do a final check.
So guys, imagine I am a guest.
I will arrive to the hotel with my six big bags,
there will be somebody out waiting for me from the hotel.
Then I'm sent to the room. I will have my gift.
In each hotel, there is going to be a room,
a suite with a hairdresser,
a manicurist, and make-up.
Are you ready?
How beautiful you are!
Look at me in Valentino Red!
Your boobs are all hanging out.
Because it's small. It's the model size.
Look, it fits me.
Can I go out like this?
It's extraordinary! Beautiful!
You think it's too small?
Just a little bit here.
Not much.
You think it'd be good for an evening?
Of course!
- First or second night? - First!
You didn't even call me
to say "Welcome to Rome."
Beautiful!
Oh, my God! Fabulous!
My first couture with Valentino, it's better late than never.
Oh, it's so extraordinary, and it's so Valentino.
You should have made me one for every hour.
Oh, my God! I cannot even tell you.
It's a little bit long, yes,
I think it needs to be hemmed up. She has a lot of work.
Lavoro, tanto lavoro. Tanto lavoro, capice, capice.
Hi, Valentino! How are you doing?
We're taking amazing pictures!
The Coliseum, look! Let's go!
We're in Rome, where the fashion world has congregated
for the festivities surrounding
the 45th anniversary celebration of Valentino.
We'll bring you complete coverage of this extraordinary weekend
on an upcoming episode of Fashion Television.
I'm rushing because I'm late.
Did you go inside?
Valentino, you have to put this on for me.
- It's not on right. - What do you mean? It's done!
Being in Rome, it's so hot and steamy and romantic.
Uma, can we have a quick comment?
- Is that Valentino? - Yes, it is.
She's wearing Valentino as well. Couture.
What's the difference between good style and trash?
I have no idea.
Marvellous!
You look amazing!
Look at your tits.
He said "I have a wonderful Italian intern who has no money.
He will be happy to do your sketches."
And this is how we met.
How amazing.
Today, we are here to celebrate
with our friends, our colleagues
this amazing career of my dear friend Valentino.
And he still designs the same way,
fame and fortune didn't change him.
He's still the same little guy I met
45 years ago.
I need Antonio!
Mr. Valentino's coming!
Come on! Don't be shy.
All the seamstresses from Turin made the trip.
Wonderful!
It's fantastic...
Look at this one from 1990!
From the beginning...
1966!
Incredible!
It's beautiful!
1965.
Congratulations. I can't believe it.
Our creation.
- Where is Mr. Lagerfeld? - He's downstairs.
Come see something you're going to love.
How does it feel to see it all again?
Darling, it's the hard work of 45 years.
This is Patrick.
He did all this scenography.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, thank you.
It's pretty, hung up like this.
You realize the hours of work for all this.
It's crazy.
I kind of remember these looks.
- This one, for instance. - It's the 60s.
I remember very well.
You were still on Via Gregoriana.
Congratulations! You must stay a few more years.
Maybe not another 45, but still...
- Don't stop. - Not at all.
- I would never forgive you. - Never.
Thank you for coming.
Be strong, sophisticated, very feminine,
and show what is Haute Couture.
Everybody's here.
The pace has to be very strong and fast.
Go, go, go.
No, she's not ready.
We need powder!
Did you see?
Bravo, bravo!
Not me, not me.
That's the way it should be done.
Compared to us, the rest are making rags.
Every dress, every girl, every moment of a feather or ruffle.
There's so much restraint and exuberance.
That pink thing that looked like...
It's just another... It's a breakthrough moment here.
Triumph of the will. Triumph of the will.
The will to continue to be.
You're just beginning. You're just beginning over.
Your career is just beginning. You're a little guy about to begin.
I'm beginning my career.
- You're beginning your career again, today.
The world today...
The world of fashion today is very, very different.
If there is a reason for Valentino to stop one day, that's the reason...
That this is not a world made for him.
Valentino will be the last one of that generation of the big names
that has still his name on his company.
It will define the difference
between yesterday and today.
There are a lot of people who say no one can replace you.
After me, the flood.
You know what it means?
It was beautiful.