Born In Voghera, Italy, in 1932, Valentino Garavani, known to all simple Valentino, studied fashion design and French at the "Accademia dell'Arte" in Milan and the "Chambre Syndicate de la Couture Parisienne", while still a teenager. In 1955 he took up work with Guy Laroche, the former chief illustrator at Desses. By 1960, he established himself as a designer with his first collection a salon on the Via Condotti in Rome. He quickly became one of the leading couturiers in the 1960s. In 1967 he won the coveted Neiman Marcus Prize and in 1970 launched his first ready-to-wear line and boutiques in Rome and New York. Since then, his gowns and clothes have become the choice of many of the world's most glamorous people, Hollywood stars, First Ladies, and top fashion models.