Timeless, Bold, Iconic: The Journey of Valentino Red
From the 1959 debut of the ‘La Fiesta’ dress to the present day, Valentino red now comes to life once again in the Horizons | Red exhibition, featuring more than 50 iconic designs and contemporary artworks.
A few months ago, Valentino began a new chapter at its historic heart—Piazza Mignanelli in Rome. The Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti inaugurated PM23, a cultural center dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and sharing the maison’s legacy of beauty. Located beside Valentino’s original atelier and just steps away from the Spanish Steps, this permanent space opened its doors with the debut exhibition, Horizons | Red—a vibrant homage to the color that defined the house’s identity.
For Valentino Garavani, red was never merely a color. From the fiery “La Fiesta” dress at his first fashion show in 1959 to his emotional farewell in 2008, red became his language, his essence, and ultimately, his destiny. Over the years, this distinctive shade became so intertwined with his creative identity that Pantone officially named it “Valentino Red.” Sixty-six years later, this iconic color returns to the spotlight, mere meters from where it first began its journey into legend.
Dialogue Between Fashion and Art
Curated by fashion historian Pamela Golbin, with art selections by Anna Coliva, the exhibition unites 80 masterpieces—50 emblematic red dresses from Valentino’s archives and 30 contemporary artworks. Displayed together for the first time in Rome, these works form an elegant bridge between the worlds of couture and fine art, revealing their shared pursuit of form, emotion, and timeless beauty.
Organized across six rooms and five thematic sections—Red in the Orbit of Beauty; The Surface of Red; Red and Identity; Emotional Landscapes; and A Horizon of Dreams—the exhibition takes visitors on a deeply visual and emotional journey.
Among the most striking juxtapositions are: a delicate tulle gown from the 1959 collection paired with Cy Twombly’s “Untitled” (2008); a backless crepe dress from the 2008 Spring/Summer collection displayed beside Clyfford Still’s “PH-387” (1955); a balloon-skirted taffeta creation facing Francis Bacon’s “Sand Dune” (1983); and Valentino’s red column dresses resonating with Louise Bourgeois’ “10am Is When You Come To Me” (2006). Each pairing sparks a conversation between eras, revealing how art and fashion mirror one another in their shared exploration of passion and form.
The Red Thread of History
Red, the first pigment ever created by humankind, has long symbolized beauty, strength, identity, and emotion. For Valentino, it became destiny—the unifying force of his creative vision. No other couturier has ever built such a cohesive aesthetic universe around a single color.
“Seeing the dresses and artworks side by side evoked unexpected emotions,” reflects Giancarlo Giammetti. “It reminded us how timeless beauty can be, and how creativity transcends decades.”
Beauty as a Mission
Horizons | Red is both a tribute to Valentino’s illustrious career and a manifestation of the Foundation’s forward-looking philosophy. As Garavani and Giammetti explain, “The foundation was born from our devotion to beauty. We believe in its power to transform, elevate, and leave a lasting imprint on human life.”
Pamela Golbin, who also curated the acclaimed “Valentino: Themes and Variations” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 2008, returned to the archives for this new project. Carefully selecting 50 gowns, she oversaw their meticulous restoration, reviving each piece with reverence and precision—ensuring that the legacy of Valentino red continues to shine with undiminished brilliance.
Rome’s New Cultural Temple
The PM23 cultural space occupies a historic building that once served as a school and a printing house under the Vatican. Now restored to its full splendor, it stands as a new temple of culture in Rome—a place not only for exhibitions but also for talks, workshops, and interdisciplinary events. Here, beauty is not merely preserved; it is reimagined, shared, and celebrated anew.
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