The future star of Italian fashion, Valentino Garavani, was born in 1932 in Voghera near Milan. He studied at the Accademia Dell'Arte in Milan before moving on to the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. Winner of a competition for fashion design, he spent almost a decade in Paris, working first with Jean Desses and then with Guy Laroche. Through text and image alike, this enchanting book captures the essence of Valentino's eternal self-renewing search for beauty and richness, qualities that have always been part of Roman life. The splendid illustrations include not only photographs but also sketches by himself, the King of Italian fashion.