Garavani leaves behind a legacy of eternal elegance, grace, discipline, and poetry. Revisiting a 1991 interview from the L'OFFICIEL archives, L'OFFICIEL pays homage to the Last Emperor of Fashion.

On Jan. 19, legendary Italian designer Valentino Garavani passed away, his estate announced. In honor of his life and legacy,&nbsp;L'OFFICIEL&nbsp;looks back on his life with a 1991 interview in L'OFFICIEL Issue No. 768.
As the interview explores, Valentino was one of the most iconic men in fashion. Despite his renown, the 1991 interview illustrates an intimate portrait that reveals the man beyond the myth: his love of Italian food, his passion for reading, ballet, and international cinema. It also tells the story of an elegant and visionary lifestyle, divided between homes in Rome, London, and New York, a villa on Capri, a 48-meter yacht, and a retreat in Gstaad.
Below, discover the designer in a new light, as told by the 1991&nbsp;L'OFFICIEL&nbsp;interview.&nbsp;

L'OFFICIEL cover No. 768, 1991. L'OFFICIEL Archive.

Almost everything has been said about Valentino, the most talked-about couturier of the year: three books, two exhibitions, countless parties and receptions, interviews, articles in every newspaper, and even a film. This is how his fifty years in fashion were celebrated, and everyone thought they knew everything about him. But Valentino still has a few surprises in store, even for those who know him. It's said he eats from golden plates and has a French chef, David, who follows him everywhere. He adores Italian cuisine; he doesn't like garlic or pepper, but he is fond of chili pepper. His favorite dish when he's alone is penne with basil and tomato sauce. 
At night, before going to bed, he reads a few pages of a book, currently Martha Graham's biography. Valentino loves all kinds of music, but prefers Mozart, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Barbara Streisand, and Whitney Houston. He's passionate about cinema and, in Paris and New York, tries to see as many foreign films as possible, even though, unfortunately, they're always dubbed. He loves ballet, especially the ABT (American Ballet Theater), and never misses a visit to his great friend, Mikhail Baryshnikov, in New York.

Valentino Garavani in the 1990s. Getty Images.

Valentino has four pugs named Tobias, Rupert, Maggie, and Oliver, who give their name to his second ready-to-wear line. His latest hobby is horseback riding in Tuscany, where he rides Meijse with Giancarlo Giammetti and a young Irishwoman named Marie, who trains them. 
Valentino is passionate about flowers and vegetables: his garden boasts palm trees, cypress trees, lawns, potted orange trees, clouds of honeysuckle, and rose beds. His absolute favorite color is "Valentino" red, the color of the poppy. 
Valentino has a very elegant look and dresses in striped suits, dark blue blazers, and shirts as blue as his eyes. He dresses at Caracemi in Milan, his shirts are from Turnbull &amp; Asser in London, and his ties come from Charvet in Paris or simply from Valentino.

Valentino Garavani in Paris in 1991. Getty Images.

Valentino lives in three townhouses&mdash;Rome, London, and New York&mdash;a cliff-top villa in Capri, a 48-meter blue boat, and a chalet in Gstaad, which he favors. "Because in the mountains, everything is relaxing, pleasant, and carefree," he says.
The chalet is filled with paintings of flowers and porcelain, the Capri villa has a very Orientalist feel, the New York apartment is decorated with Russian furniture, and the London one is very Victorian. A private plane allows him to easily travel from one house to the other.

Some details of Valentino Garavani's house in Rome, on the Via Appia Antica

The homes are luxurious, but despite their opulence, Valentino's interiors are neither formal nor elaborate. There's a common thread throughout: a large-check fabric, red and white, blue and white, or green and white, sometimes used as curtains, other times as bedspreads or cushions. 
"It's my favorite fabric," Valentino says. "It brings life and happiness to any room." His main residence is a 1930 villa at the end of the Via Appia Antica in Rome: a white living room glazed with gold and silver, ivory and ebony, malachite and porcelain, where cashmere and small dots blend with an Empire sofa, an oriental lacquer screen, and an oversized Botero. Throughout the house, Italian Baroque blends with porcelain and Chinese style, the marquetry of the furniture with Napoleon III papier-m&acirc;ch&eacute; pieces, and gilded wood with modern designs. It's eclectic and colorful.

Valentino Garavani's villa in Capri. Courtesy of Valentino.

Valentino Garavani's London home. Courtesy of Valentino.

He always knew what he wanted. Fascinated like a butterfly by the light of wealth and glory, he wanted to seduce the "Beautiful People" and soon became part of the club. Neither snobbish (the word has fallen out...) nor bored, this feisty Taurus is optimistic and happy, never experiencing nervous breakdowns or anxiety. "I love him as a designer, as a friend, as a magician of beauty, femininity, and joy," says a faithful Marie-H&eacute;l&egrave;ne de Rothschild, whom he dresses like all the queens and stars of the world.
Interview by Barbara Schwarm

L'OFFICIEL Looks Back On Valentino Garavani's Life And Legacy

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