Valentino, Mario (1927–1991)

Italian shoe designer. He built an international empire of boutiques and shoe, leather-goods, cosmetics, and ready-to-wear ranges. He was instrumental in furthering the careers of the designers Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace, employing both of them on his leather ranges; Karl Lagerfeld still designs Valentino shoes.

Valentino was born in Naples and began his career designing specialist shoes, a sector in which he reached fame in the 1950s. His commercial flair steered him towards many areas. By 1956 he had a shoe-manufacturing company in Naples and a number of shops around the world. He attracted custom from international socialites such as Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, and Jacqueline Onassis.