The Illustrated Valentino

This was originally posted to my Substack.

In honor of Valentino Garavani, who passed away yesterday at age 93, I thought I would share some of the many beautiful illustrated ad campaigns Valentino produced during the 1970s.

I thought what Pierpaolo Piccioli (who was creative director of Valentino from 2008 to 2024, jointly with Maria Grazia Chiuri from 2008 to 2016) wrote in memory of Valentino was very beautiful, especially these points:

An almost innocent brilliance, as though every idea were always the first, as though wonder had never faded. That is what made everything possible, and magical. For you, beauty was never a luxury nor an ornament: it was a form of defence, a place of safety, the only one possible. A protection, a shield against the world. You were my mentor without ever needing a lectern; you had no need of one. You taught me that fashion is joy, though a profoundly serious kind of joy.
…

And I learned that love is protection, because the way Giancarlo loved you was a shield against the harshness of the world, and the most precious gift one could ask for. I will say goodbye to you in this way, with composed gratitude and a trace of imperfection. For this, too, is what you taught me: that absolute precision without humanity leaves no trace, while a mistake shaped with intelligence can become style.
You created an eternity, a place made of dream and beauty. There, death does not exist, because it is unnecessary. It is a place that will remain, for me, for everyone, forever.

Speaking of crafting beauty… With multiple lines (couture, ready-to-wear, and Boutique, in addition to sunglasses and other accessories), Valentino produced several ad campaigns a season throughout the Seventies. While many were by fashion photographers (primarily Gian Paolo Barbieri, but also Bob Krieger and Deborah Turbeville), the company also worked with illustrators and artists. Between 1970 and 1978, Valentino collaborated with five artists on 11 campaigns. Among them were now legendary figures (Antonio Lopez, Joe Eula), some wonderful but mostly forgotten (Mauro Piccini, Maning Obregon), while another became more famous for another art form (Paul Jasmin), but what’s most fascinating is the sheer breadth of different styles—and that Valentino, the man and brand, were so willing to experiment with a range of artists with such different ways of portraying the clothes. We think of Valentino as elegance personified, both himself and his designs, but there is a variety and playfulness in these illustrations that is the very opposite of stuffy.

For more on some of the artists, I’ve previously written about Joe Eula’s ballet costumes and interviewed Devon Caranicas, who runs Antonio Lopez’s estate. Mauro Piccini did little work outside of Italy. I know his vibrant airbrush art from my favourite Italian magazines, Playmen and Libera; I will try to scan some more of his things soon. Paul Jasmin’s illustration work is sorely underrepresented online; he passed away last May, with all the online obituaries focusing on his later photography work. Jasmin painted the very fabulous portrait of Valentino’s life and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, below. More on him and Maning Obregon soon…

Giancarlo Giammetti by Paul Jasmin, 1975.

It was incredibly difficult to choose which illustrations to include in this newsletter—these campaigns were up to 26 pages long! My first pull was 57 images, and I’ve been whittling it down from there. To see my selection, view this newsletter in a browser or on the Substack app—they are worth it, I promise!

Valentino primavera-estate 1970: Illustrated by Paul Jasmin

Valentino primavera-estate 1971: Illustrated by Maning Obregon

Valentino autunno-inverno 1972-73: Illustrated by Antonio Lopez

Valentino Boutique primavera-estate 1973: Illustrated by Mauro Piccini

Valentino autunno-inverno 1973-74: Illustrated by Antonio Lopez inspired by Leon Bakst

Valentino Boutique autunno-inverno 1973-74: Illustrated by Mauro Piccini

Valentino primavera-estate 1974: Illustrated by Antonio Lopez

Valentino Boutique primavera-estate 1975: Illustrated by Mauro Piccini

Valentino Couture autunno-inverno 1977-78: Illustrated by Joe Eula

Valentino Boutique primavera-estate 1978: Illustrated by Joe Eula

Laura McLaws Helms is a fashion and cultural historian available for consulting on film, television, publishing, and brand projects. Contact her here.