Dining Room Chairs Table Rattan Bamboo Fabric Glass Vivai del Sud 1980s Set of 5

The mononymously known Italian designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani is renowned for his fashion house of romantic styles and feminine shapes that he founded in Rome in 1960. Beautiful Valentino dresses, skirts and other apparel captured the hearts of many of Italy’s wealthiest ladies in the couturier’s early days and led to commissions from Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness, Jayne Wrightsman and others on the international best-dressed list (when it still meant something). They sought out Valentino for gorgeous gowns, jackets, elegant daytime wear and even when they needed wedding dresses.

An early fascination with fashion developed when Valentino attended the theater as a child and was dazzled by the evening gowns on stage. While a teenager in Voghera, Lombardy, he studied under Italian designer Ernestina Salvadeo and soon moved to Paris, where he trained at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Valentino spent time apprenticing under haute couturiers Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche, learning how to design and construct high fashion while also thinking about how to strike out on his own.

In 1959, Valentino returned to Italy, and a year later, he opened his own salon, soon joining with longtime professional and personal partner Giancarlo Giammetti. It was located on Rome’s trendy Via Condotti and modeled after the French maisons. One of his earliest clients was Elizabeth Taylor, who discovered Valentino while she was in Rome filming Cleopatra and ordered the white dress that she wore to the premiere of Spartacus.

When the designer launched his first couture line in 1962 with its fiery red colors, it was internationally celebrated, with Valentino soon attiring fashion trendsetters including Princess Margaret and Audrey Hepburn. He formed an especially close friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for whom he designed numerous dresses. Luxurious drapery with fine needlework, bold uses of color and dramatic flourishes would define Valentino fashion across the decades.

As a fashion house, Valentino is best known for its signature Valentino Red color, though one of its iconic lines is the monochromatic “no colour” collection for which the designer won the Neiman Marcus Award in 1967. (The collection also debuted his trademark “V.”) The white dresses and beige dresses led to a demand for Valentino wedding gowns, with clients including Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez and Anne Hathaway.

Valentino retired from his fashion empire in 2007, with Alessandra Facchinetti and then the duo Maria Grazia Chiuri (who departed in 2016) and Pierpaolo Piccioli succeeding him as creative directors. But Valentino still steps out of retirement for special occasions, such as designing a wedding gown for Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013.

Today, the brand offers a range of collections that include the Valentino Garavani line and REDValentino, a diffusion line that is aimed at a younger audience. The house has expanded far beyond women’s haute couture and prêt-à-porter to encompass various lines of accessories, including shoes, sunglasses, scarves and perfume. 

Find vintage Valentino Garavani evening dresses, handbags and other items on 1stDibs now.

Combining the opulence of Italian Baroque art, the grandeur of Roman classicism and the clean sophistication of mid-century modernism, Vivai del Sud’s designs have an utterly recognizable look. Carefully crafted, limited edition floor mirrors, credenzas, sofas and other pieces echo the elegance of Hollywood Regency style while incorporating playful inspiration from the design team’s Italian heritage.

Brothers Giorgio, Gianfranco and Piero di Pierri founded Vivai del Sud in Rome in 1950. Established first as a landscape design firm, its early work included designing modern winter gardens throughout Italy as well as restoring historic parks. Building on this success, Vivai del Sud expanded in 1970 with a new focus on interior decoration and furniture design.

Originally from the Italian region of Puglia, the brothers were inspired by Italian Baroque artists and Roman architecture, using classical themes and mythological motifs in their furniture designs. Vivai del Sud built an international audience for its inimitable pieces, opening branches in Italy, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and West Africa.

Vivai del Sud later added architectural design to its practice, designing luxury hotels as well as residential buildings. The company has also published magazines and books of poetry.

Vivai del Sud’s work has garnered international acclaim, with features in Domus, Casa Vogue and other major publications.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Vivai del Sud seating, tables, decorative objects and more.