Remembering Valentino and his Love of Beauty
- Kick The Concrete
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
It seems we are in an era of the OGs of fashion leaving us. With the passing of Valentino Garavani on January 19, we reminisce on the impact Maison Valentino had on culture.
“I love beauty. It’s not my fault.”
The words that hung on the windows outside the Maison Valentino flagship store in Rome were ones Valentino used often. His love of beauty was reflected in the clothes he made, the people who wore them, and in the end, the celebration of his life.
Garavani was the original designer to be synonymous with red — Valentino Red — long before Christian Louboutin claimed its stake on the color. It all started with the “La Fiesta” dress in Valentino’s Spring/Summer collection from 1959. From then on, Maison Valentino has included a red dress in every one of its shows.
We've loved reflecting on so many Valentino creations over the past couple weeks. Vintage, custom or ready-to-wear (of which he was the first to do both men's and women's), we've seen it all.
Here are some of the most famous pop culture moments Garavani facilitated through his iconic work.
Julia Roberts wore a vintage black and white Valentino gown at the 2001 Oscars when she won Best Actress for "Erin Brockovich."
Anne Hathaway made the thoughtful choice to wear an archival Valentino Red gown from the year they met, 2005, at the Women's Wear Daily Honors in October 2025.
Valentino designed the wedding dress for his friend, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis' marriage to Ari Onassis. But before that, he created a mourning wardrobe for her after the death of President John F. Kennedy.
Sophia Loren enjoyed a long, storied friendship with Valentino. We often saw her in ready-to-wear and custom Valentino designs while on the arm of Valentino himself.
While Garavani stepped down as designer of the house in 2008, the brand continues to reflect his eye for elegance. His spirit of creativity will live on for years to come.
Let's take a peek at some of the looks we love that are coming out of Maison Valentino more recently at the intersection of music and sports.
Red Carpet Looks
Colman Domingo is known for his beautiful red-carpet looks. So much so, he was named co-chair of the 2025 Met Gala. Of course, Valentino is a go-to for him and his stylists, Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald. We even spotted him in Valentino's nod to the polka dot trend at the 2025 Golden Globes.
Rihanna has a knack for maternity style. It is so fun to see her play with fashion and her baby bump. She was stunning at the 2023 Met Gala in a white Valentino gown. The matching jacket covered in roses is our favorite.
In Music
Erykah Badu was commissioned to create the soundtrack for Valentino's Spring/Summer 2023 Collection. Valentino's creative director at the time, Pierpaolo Piccioli, is a huge fan of Badu and worked with her to create the perfect music to pair with his designs for the season.
Piccioli spoke with Dazed about choosing Badu for this show, "I am trying to build a community of people that share the same values Erykah symbolises. With our jobs, we have a responsibility to stand for something, and deliver social messages to the world. I was sure that, with Erykah, we could deliver a strong message."
“Each piece of clothing, each amulet or talisman or trinket we wear is our own statement,” Badu added. “It can be a political statement. It can be a creative statement. It might be an emotional statement. But all those things usually go together, you know? The way we dress comes back to the emotions and memories that we feel. It’s very, very important that we as people express ourselves.”
Badu was seen walking the runway in PP Pink, Piccioli's signature color with Valentino, done up in feathers and, of course, a hoodie.
In Sports
Lewis Hamilton is known for his championship F1 driving. But those who know, know he's just as enamored with good fashion as he is his race car.
Maison Valentino snagged him and Zendaya for their Valentino Pink PP Collection. He even wore the look to the paddock for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix. As an extension of the collection, Valentino The Narratives borrowed a quote from Hamilton for their text campaign - "Great things happen when we embrace our authentic selves, but even greater things happen when we come together to exchange our visions, values and creativity.”
Hamilton continues to show his love of Maison Valentino, using race weekends as an opportunity to show up in style. For the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, he wore a gorgeous black Valentino coat and one of his favorite accessories, a pearl necklace with the Valentino logo.
And Valentino is in the NFL, too.
Tyrod Taylor's stylist, Dex Robinson, tells fans there's a story behind this Valentino jacket and finding the perfect fit for it. He first bought it to wear for Taylor's birthday, but it wasn't the right vibe. Then, it turned into an arrivals fit that still wasn't quite right. After some serious thought, the removal of a few buttons from the jacket, a casual tee, some Celine jeans, and Marni loafers, Taylor's fit came together for his Week 10 game day arrival.
Gotta get it right when you're the NFL style icon.
What a thrill it's been to remember the impact Valentino Garavani has had on the fashion world. We'll keep our eye out for fits from Maison Valentino and continue to celebrate beauty through fashion as he would appreciate.
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