Tamara Mellon’s life was endlessly modified when she was first launched to the late, legendary clothier, Valentino Garavani, 26 years in the past.
On the time, a recently-engaged Mellon, co-founder of luxurious footwear model Jimmy Choo, was juggling work and plans for her dream marriage ceremony — and her large day was taking a again seat to her demanding job.
However whereas working the Oscars again in 2000, she ran into Carlos Souza, a member of Valentino’s interior circle and his head of public relations — and the pair started chatting about her upcoming nuptials.
“I mentioned, I don’t have a gown but,” Mellon recalled to The Publish. “He mentioned, ‘It’s a must to get on a aircraft and go to Rome proper now.’” Valentino, Souza assured, could be completely satisfied to assist her out — in a method most ladies might solely dream of.
“He … saved me. I used to be so busy working, so busy organizing all the pieces else … the very last thing I did was discover a gown,” she mentioned.
At first, she remembered the icon fussing that he didn’t have “sufficient time to do all of the tulle and the lace that takes so many hours to hand-embroider.”
However he mentioned sure, anyway, and hastened to reassure her: “He mentioned, ‘Don’t fear, we are going to do one thing lovely for you,’ and he completely did. It was the largest reward … he designed probably the most lovely marriage ceremony robe.”
Contemplating the pair had by no means met earlier than, it was an unlikely, beneficiant supply from a vogue powerhouse that finally led to a decades-long friendship — as a result of that’s the type of particular person he was, Mellon mentioned.
A star is born
Valentino put his stamp on the style business when he based his eponymous label in 1960.
At all times intrigued by vogue and artwork, he enrolled in vogue sketching programs in Milan and Paris on the age of 17, again within the Forties.
After successful a prestigious vogue design competitors within the mid-Fifties, the aspiring designer secured a job working with night robe couturier Jean Dessès.
By 1959, Valentino took a stab at creating a few of his personal designs, considered one of them being a crimson, orange-hued strapless “Fiesta” cocktail gown — a signature colour that finally grew to become one he famously included in each considered one of his collections.
For nearly half a century, the style mogul has been identified for dressing among the world’s most well-known A-listers — Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Elizabeth Taylor, who was an early fan of Valentino as she wore considered one of his robes to the 1960 “Spartacus” premiere, to call a couple of — in his glamorous and stylish designs.
“I don’t know of one other model that has been related constantly for 60 years. It’s a huge achievement,” mentioned Mellon.
However it was who Valentino was as an individual that mattered most to these near him.
A real good friend
After strolling into Valentino’s Rome workplace to satisfy and work with him on her marriage ceremony gown, Mellon rapidly discovered that behind the highly effective identify and persona was a loyal, form and extremely considerate particular person — somebody who rapidly grew to become like household to her.
“If you consider Valentino, you consider the gorgeous attire that make you look elegant and complicated however then you definitely step into his world and into his life, he makes you are feeling included and welcome,” the entrepreneur defined.
Valentino was described as an individual who beloved to study and discover inspiration in every single place, particularly from his fellow fashionistas.
“I used to be the following [fashion] technology. He was studying from me and I used to be studying from him,” Mellon mentioned.
All through the years, Mellon was lucky sufficient to have had Valentino current for a lot of vital milestones in her life, together with the second she came upon she was pregnant along with her daughter, Minty, in 2001 whereas in St. Tropez on the style designer’s boat.
Or when she was awarded her Order of the British Empire (OBE) title, an honor given by the royal household for a rare achievement.
“For him to be on the dinner celebrating my OBE with me was extremely particular as a result of at that time in my life, my father had died, I don’t communicate to my mom and I don’t have another household. So for them [Valentino and his life and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti], to be there, supporting me in that method felt very particular,” she shared with The Publish.
Valentino would typically entertain at Château de Wideville, his lavish Seventeenth-century house, located exterior Paris. One would assume a house of that magnitude could be inflexible and formal — however in response to Mellon, who attended many of those Valentino gatherings, it was fairly the alternative, because the designer’s heat and welcoming presence made the house really feel intimate and comfy.
“He was gracious to all his visitors. There was by no means a visitor within the room who didn’t really feel welcome. He made you are feeling such as you belonged. And that’s an unbelievably uncommon ability,” she added.
The Italian designer additionally loved sharing a very good snort with mates. “He’d wish to know what the newest gossip or scandal is. He was enjoyable like that.”
“If you change into mates with [them], they wrap their arms round you they usually really feel like household. Chances are you’ll not see them for a couple of years, however as quickly as you see them once more, you click on proper again,” Mellon mentioned. “And to me, that’s actual friendship and loyalty.”
Loyal to the tip
And Valentino’s loyalty didn’t simply lie along with his interior circle.
After a vibrant 45-year vogue profession, in January 2008, Valentino handed the style baton when he formally stepped down from serving because the artistic director at his vogue empire, virtually 10 years after promoting his firm for $300 million. He took his remaining bow to a roaring applause at his high fashion Paris vogue present on the Rodin Museum.
However that didn’t cease him from persevering with to point out assist for his namesake model.
“To set the instance to everybody in my business, he nonetheless went to vogue exhibits after he offered the corporate. To have the ability to go and watch a present, that’s your model and assist the brand new artistic director and have a relationship with them — it takes an unbelievable particular person to try this,” Mellon shared.
When requested how the famend Italian clothier has impressed Mellon, she proudly answered, “He impressed me in stay my life. I discuss to my accomplice about how we need to stay by the requirements of our house. And he seems to be at me and he goes, ‘Is it Valentino?’ That’s our checkpoint.”
Valentino handed away peacefully at age 93 in his house in Rome on January 19, 2026, surrounded by his family members. His funeral, which Mellon will attend along with her daughter, shall be held on Friday within the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica.
The legendary designer won’t solely be remembered for his affect on the style business but additionally for who he was on the within.
“He’s been the gold normal of behave in life, in enterprise and socially,” mentioned Mellon.
