An enduring success who is considered by many to embody the essence of Italian couture, Valentino has clothed the rich and famous and seen his empire spread to more than 70 countries. Valentino and his partner sold the company in 1998, and Valentino announced his official retirement from the industry in 2007, with a January 2008 show to be his last collection.
Many of the top models who had worked with the designer over the years returned to model for the last show. Since 2008, the company has been under the creative direction of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpalo Piccioli, both of whom had worked with Valentino for more than a decade.
