Valentino Garavani’s “farewell tour” has been as epic as anything Barbra Streisand could dream up, and judging by last night’s DVD signing of Valentino: The Last Emperor, the retired designer is still pulling in the crowds. Daphne Guinness, Molly Sims, Michelle Trachtenberg, Zac Posen, and Anja Rubik all turned out to see Valentino and Giancarlo [...]

Perhaps it’s a reaction to the still bleak economy, but many visitors we spoke to at the Frieze Art Fair in London this year were a touch disappointed with the lack of pretty pictures. That is, until they arrived at the Little Black Gallery in Chelsea on Friday night, where Marina Cicogna’s glossy black-and-whites of [...]

After a late night celebrating the premiere of Valentino: The Last Emperor in
L.A. on Wednesday, the iconic Italian designer was honored again on Thursday morning. The City of Beverly Hills presented an emotional Valentino Garavani with the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award, which has previously gone to Tom Ford, Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani, Manolo [...]

“I’m calling it the greatest pug movie of all time,” jokes Matt Tyrnauer of his documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor (click above for a clip), which covers two crucial years in the lives of Valentino Garavani and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti. By now most of the fashion fluent have seen the comical canine clip that’s [...]

Karl Lagerfeld dresses up the recession with a pretty catchprase: “Bling is over. Red carpet-y covered with rhinestones is out. I call it ‘the new modesty.’ ” Another gem: “Throwing money out the window brings money back in through the front door.” Why couldn’t Karl have been our econ professor?
Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti [...]

The gloves are off at the Italian design house, which this week let go Alessandra Facchinetti as the designer of the main line in favor of the accessories team of Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Alessandra Facchinetti’s statement to the press:
“It was with deep regret that I learnt from the press that I would [...]