A year after joining the brand bandwagon in India, Italian fashion giant Valentino staged his last-ever ready-to-wear show in Paris yesterday, winning a standing ovation from design connoisseurs.
Last year in August, Mafatlal Industries brought in this super-luxury brand and opened the first Valentino store in New Delhi.
Yesterday’s show is not Valentino’s last hurrah; a final haute couture display is scheduled to take place in Paris in January. But the emotions were palpable as he blinked back tears on the catwalk.
“I want to stop at the height of my glory. I want to have a bit of fun because I have spent my life stuck in couture houses drawing hundreds and hundreds of sketches every season,” the 75-year-old designer told media.
Having celebrated his 45 years in fashion with three days of glittering celebrations in Rome, Valentino announced last month that he would retire in 2008. Alessandra Facchinetti, the former designer of Gucci women’s ready-to-wear, has been appointed to replace him.
“India is rich in its tapestry of fabric and colour and I look forward to drape many beautiful Indian women with my work,” was Valentino’s message during the first store launch in India.
