Valentino

Valentino is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1960 by the renowned designer Valentino Garavani, together with his business partner Giancarlo Giammetti.

The brand is recognised for its distinguished combination of tradition and innovation in high-end fashion, symbolising crafting excellence, creativity, and uniqueness.

Over the decades, Valentino evolved to include Haute Couture, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories, eyewear, and beauty products while maintaining its roots in Italian craftsmanship.

Short history of Valentino

The brand’s early international breakthrough came in 1962 with its debut fashion show in Florence. Valentino gained considerable fame in 1967 with its “no colour” collection, which featured white, beige, and ivory garments, contrasting with the psychedelic patterns popular at the time. This era also saw the creation of the Valentino “V” logo that remains a key emblem today.

The brand has staged runway shows in major fashion capitals and entered the menswear market in 1985 during Milan Fashion Week.

After the founder and Giammetti sold the brand in 1998, Valentino himself remained involved in creative endeavours until retiring in 2008. The house continues to uphold its reputation through haute couture, ready-to-wear collections, and distinctive men’s fashion offerings.

The company is headquartered in Milan, with creative operations based in Rome.

Since 2024, Alessandro Michele has been the creative director, while Jacob Venturini has served as CEO since 2020. In 2024, Valentino reported sales of €1.35 billion, underscoring its significant position in the luxury market.

What is Valentino all about?

Valentino focuses on empowering women by reimagining timeless elegance through a modern lens.

The brand produces luxury clothing that is both relevant and deeply sensual, aiming to boost a woman’s sense of self and individuality with sophisticated, versatile, and wearable designs.

Valentino strives to merge its rich couture heritage with contemporary innovation to mirror the confidence and sophistication of today’s global woman.

Valentino Garavani is renowned for his signature ”Valentino red”, a vivid and unmistakable shade that has become a hallmark of the brand. This striking colour was inspired by a woman in a red velvet gown at an opera and has been featured in every Valentino collection since its debut in 1959 with the ”La Fiesta” collection.

In addition to red, the brand is known for using luxurious materials like lace and silk chiffon, plus feminine details such as beading, intricate embroidery, ruffles, and floral motifs.

Valentino has designed for many high-profile clients, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, and various members of royalty and celebrities.

Beyond fashion, Valentino embraces a wider cultural influence through advocacy for diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability.

The brand commits to ethical practices, such as distancing itself from suppliers that do not align with its values, to balance luxury with social responsibility. This dedication shapes the brand’s aim to leave a meaningful legacy rooted in values like freedom, passion, and equality within its community.

What do they have to offer?

Valentino’s product range covers several categories in fashion and beauty, offering an extensive selection of luxury items, including apparel, footwear, bags, accessories, beauty products, fragrances, and eyewear, all characterised by the maison’s signature blend of Italian craftsmanship and sophisticated design.

Women’s bags and purses feature notable lines such as Valentino Garavani Viva Superstar, Cherryfic, Nellcôte, Vain, 9to5, VLogo Signature, Antibes, Locò, VSLING, Alltime, Rockstud, and Rockstud Spike. These bags are crafted from various materials, including leather, suede, denim, and embroidery, reflecting a combination of timeless elegance and contemporary trends.

The range also includes women’s and men’s clothing collections and shoes. Small leather goods, belts, and bijoux for both women and men are also available, along with jewellery collections.

Fragrances for women and men include iconic perfumes such as Born in Roma (with various editions), and Voce Viva (released in 2020 with Lady Gaga as ambassador), as well as historic lines like Valentino Classique, Very Valentino, and Valentina.

A couture makeup collection celebrates individuality and elegance, featuring cosmetic products such as refillable lipsticks, long-wear liquid foundations, eyeshadows that double as blushes, and finishing powders that serve as both compacts and clutch accessories.

Prescription frames and sunglasses have been designed, manufactured, and distributed worldwide under a license agreement with Akoni Group since 2021.

What is the user experience like?

The design of the Valentino website reflects a high-end luxury fashion brand experience, focusing on elegance, clarity, and showcasing the fashion collections and products with visual sophistication and intuitive navigation. A clean, modern layout highlights Valentino’s iconic collections, such as Haute Couture, ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, and accessories, through large, high-quality images and concise textual descriptions.

The site is structured to emphasise easy access to collections, enabling users to explore different product categories like women’s bags, shoes, and exclusive collections with prominent, clear categories and filters.

Visual elements draw on Valentino’s brand heritage, including signature motifs like the VLogo and seasonal aesthetics such as the ”Cherryfic” design and ”Rockstud” detailing for shoes and accessories.

The design supports efficient e-commerce functions: shopping bag management, promotional code application, and secure checkout options (integration with PayPal), all presented clearly with user-friendly prompts and messaging.

Valentino’s site also integrates rich storytelling about the Maison’s history, craftsmanship, and innovation, maintaining the brand’s luxury image through dedicated sections about the Maison Valentino’s background and creative vision.

Valentino maintains a strong presence across multiple social networks, actively engaging followers and leveraging the platforms to enhance brand awareness and community connection.

Their content includes high-quality product photos, celebrity features, user-generated posts, and collaborations with emerging designers.

They also use Instagram for live-streaming events like fashion shows to support young designers such as Marco Rambaldi.

What are the prices like?

Valentino pricing varies significantly by product category.

Their products in the US market are positioned in the luxury price range, with shoes typically ranging from about $600 to $1,000, handbags from $1,200 up to over $3,000, and fragrances around $138 on sale. These prices reflect Valentino’s status as a premium designer brand in luxury fashion.

Footwear like the Valentino Garavani BePointy Slingback Pumps is priced around $980. Sale prices for certain models, such as Rockstud Bow Slingback Pumps, can be around $654 (40% off from $1,090).

Prices for Valentino Garavani handbags range from approximately $2,450 to $3,190, with pieces like the Antibes Medium Shopping Bag priced around $2,950 and Nellcôte crossbody bags available for nearly $1,269 on sale.

Valentino Donna Born in Roma Eau de Parfum 2-Piece Gift Set retails for about $138 on sale (originally $206).

Valentino’s official website and retailers such as Nordstrom provide real-time pricing and occasional sales promotions, often displaying MSRP and discounted prices for various items, including bags, shoes, and perfumes.

What are their shipping options?

Valentino offers Standard shipping for free on all US purchases, with delivery in 4-6 business days. Express shipping costs $20 and takes 2-3 business days. Next-day shipping costs $25 with delivery guaranteed the next working day for orders placed by 2 pm EST. As soon as the order is picked up by the courier, the confirmation email with tracking info is sent.

According to Valentino’s European and global shipping policies, international delivery times generally range from 1-5 working days, depending on the shipping option (standard or express). Standard shipping usually takes about 3-5 business days, and express shipping takes 1-2 business days. Shipping fees vary by country but are typically around €25 for many European countries.

For more accurate and region-specific details, it is advisable to check the Valentino website relevant to the customer’s country or contact customer care directly, as shipping policies and availability may differ between product lines and geographic markets.

Conclusion

Valentino stands as a symbol of timeless elegance, feminine sophistication, and Italian craftsmanship, maintaining an influential role in global luxury fashion.

The company offers an extensive luxury product range comprising apparel, footwear, bags, accessories, beauty products, fragrances, and eyewear, all aligned with the maison’s signature blend of Italian craftsmanship and sophisticated design.

The site balances a luxurious, editorial feel with practical usability, emphasising Valentino’s status as a benchmark in Italian luxury fashion.

Valentino excels in quality and design appeal, with loyal customers and high product satisfaction, though its premium price and some product-specific drawbacks like fragrance longevity or foundation ingredients may be downsides for certain users. This balance is typical for a high-end fashion and beauty brand.