Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani was BOTD in 1932. Born in Voghera and named after Rudolph Valentino, he started his fashion career working for his aunt, then moved to Paris where he apprenticed for Cristóbel Balenciaga and Guy Laroche. He opened his first fashion house in 1960. In the same year, he met Giancarlo Giammetti who became his personal and business partner. Valentino became synonymous with old-school Hollywood glamour, dressing Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, and noted for his signature “Valentino Red”. In 1998, Valentino and Giammetti sold the brand, and Valentino retired from designing in 2007. Valentino had a brief cameo, playing himself, in the film The Devil Wears Prada and was the subject of the 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor. He and Giammetti lived in an open relationship, allowing Valentino to pursue relationships with Carlos Souza and former model Bruce Hoeksema, both of whom were absorbed into the couple’s entourage. Famous for their opulent lifestyles, Valentino and Giammetti maintained lavish homes around the world, typically travelled by private jet and adopting a menagerie of pug dogs. They remained together until Valentino’s death in 2026, aged 93.