Valentino Garavani had been known for many things throughout his 45-year long career, but the most celebrated of all and the thing he’ll forever be remembered for is his dresses. It’s his couture collection in 1962 featuring dresses in his signature red color that earned him international recognition in the fashion industry, and even now after he’s retired, Valentino dresses continue to captivate celebrities and elites just by bearing the essence of his deep-rooted influence in the fashion house and everything that comes from it.
Only a few can say they dressed first ladies, but Valentino in particular could boast of being a Jackie Kennedy Onassis favorite. Yes, the perennial style icon, Jackie O. There had been a time she wore Valentino exclusively because she liked his designs the best and on her second wedding, she wore his white dress that seemed like it’s something she casually pulled out from her closet.
Valentino dresses are a cause for intrigue and the best way to get to know one is to own one, so take your picks from this list of 26 and you’ll be on your way to making your closet a designer haven.
VALENTINO Wool and silk crêpe dress
Price: US$2,800.00
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Though many Valentino dresses carry a dramatic vibe because of the original inspiration from evening gown costumes in theaters, this dress proves that the fashion house can branch out to playfulness. This dress has a childlike silhouette because of the modest skirt and sleeves, but it shows off your womanly figure by cinching it at the waist and adding a vintage-looking collar.
VALENTINO Heavy Lace dress
Price: US$3,737.00
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The Heavy Lace dress balances the elegance of a luxurious cotton-silk blend fabric with a simple straight silhouette. The first captures the dramatic effect of a black dress and the second tones it down, but it still has that youthfulness with the semi-sheer bell sleeves.
VALENTINO Hammered-satin mini dress
Price: US$3,290.00
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Nowadays, loungewear isn’t only used for, well, lounging. It’s become accepted into the genre of normal clothes you can wear outdoors. First it was pajama pants, then slip dresses. This mini-dress fits the description and is too pretty not to wear outside your house. It has a bubble hem and three layers of satin. The innermost layer can be detached if you’re feeling the low neckline.
VALENTINO Wool and silk crêpe minidress
Price: US$2,490.00
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Wearing this mini dress is the best way to welcome the summer. When you can wear off-shoulder anything, that’s the perfect time to pop them out, and this dress is the best match for the sunshine season because of its bright salmon color. Exchange between slippers and stilettos if you’re going to wear this out to the park or a party.
VALENTINO Rododendro Print dress
Price: US$4,104.00
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There’s no better time than now for this dress to come into your closet. On a bright pink dress, the rododendro print is inspired by the rhododendron flowers that are in full bloom this spring. Gifts are usually wrapped with pleats and this one has it, which is a sign for it to be a gift to yourself this season. The long sleeves will also aid you in this confusing weather.
VALENTINO Embroidered satin-jersey mini dress
Price: US$3,690.00
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A slight diversion from Valentino’s usual flirty dresses, this emerald mini dress is an attraction for athletic wear enthusiasts who’ll be familiar and at home in the satin-jersey composition. The dress is designed smartly with features that doubles the style options: the front zip fastening for a turtleneck or low V neckline, a matching cinched waist and cuffs, to make the sleeves full or three quarter-length.
VALENTINO Lace-panelled silk dress
Price: US$3,290.00
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This silk dress is the definition of comfort. The combination of the loose fabric and cream color makes it a breezy all-in-one outfit for the coming seasons. Your figure won’t be completely lost with the help of the ribbon tie that cinches the waist, and the high circle neckline won’t look too modest as the lace panels on the front and back will show a little bit more skin, if a showcase of legs isn’t enough.
VALENTINO rose-print tiered dress
Price: US$5,476.00
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The right way to pull off a girly look without losing the strong, independent girlboss vibe is wearing this dress. It’s not too showy like bright-colored dresses, but it combines a cream silk fabric with soft pink florals, a long ribbon on the neckline, modest long sleeves, and frills on a tiered skirt, which are everything you really need in a girly, womanly dress.
VALENTINO Lace and pleated silk midi dress
Price: US$7,500.00
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We’ve encountered a red dress in the first item, but this dress is the first of a few in this list that embodies the sultry feel of a red Valentino dress. The low V neckline, sleeveless, and A-line midi structure is panelled throughout with pleated silk and sheer lace embroidered with floral patterns. All you’ll need are jewelry and the right heels to bring this look to a fancy dinner event.
VALENTINO Lace-trimmed knitted minidress
Price: US$2,700.00
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Very few t-shirt dresses look good enough to be seen wearing them out in the world, but we’d totally wear this everywhere in a heartbeat. The body-hugging dress keeps things interesting despite its black color by flaring out in the skirt area and adding a bright pink chevron stripe and lace panel on the chest.
VALENTINO Sequin-embellished wool and silk-blend mini dress
Price: US$5,200.00
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Valentino Garavani realized his interest in fashion after going to theater and being captivated by the extravagance of it all, specifically the shine of sequins on evening gowns. This mini dress is obviously not an evening gown, but it fashions sequins like the night sky in a showy manner as in theater costumes, even with lesser fabric.
VALENTINO Floral-printed crêpe dress
Price: US$3,690.00
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Yet again, we encounter another Rododendro print on a Valentino dress only in a darker color palette. It’s from the same collection made for the spring and summer this year. This one is a collared shirt dress, which doesn’t always come with a design that looks this good.
VALENTINO bell sleeve dress
Price: US$1,980.00
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It’s fun and exciting to experiment with fashion, but back up your trendy wardrobe with basic pieces like this little white dress. Yes, you should get one like you would a little black dress because it’s as important. This midi dress is a plain one with only bell sleeves as the design, which means you can go crazy on the accessories.
VALENTINO Embellished wool and silk-blend crepe dress
Price: US$6,700.00
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When you imagine a t-shirt dress that falls to the middle of the calves, you probably wouldn’t picture a one as flattering as this one, but we’re thankful this dress came out from Valentino creative director Pier Paolo Piccioli’s mind. The ivory wool and silk-blend crepe makes it slightly structured, hence elegant, and the embroidery on the top gives it life.
VALENTINO Lipstick Waves knit dress
Price: US$2,950.00
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Red is a fiery standout color, but as with everything, an excess of it can get repetitive even for a fashion house like Valentino. Good thing they’ve created a fun print that still has a hint of that inspiration, which is their signature red lipstick print. This dress enhances the print with a scalloped lace trimming on the shoulders and sides.
VALENTINO Smocked printed cotton-poplin mini dress
Price: US$1,980.00
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It’s quite surprising to see a Valentino dress in a contrasting blue color, but all we can do is admire because it offers a different kind of charm and playfulness. Panels of stitching cinch the waist and the hem of the sleeves, adding ruffles to the collared dress.
VALENTINO star embroidered dress
Price: US$7,398.00
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Dreamy is the best word to describe this dress. It has an old, nostalgic feel to it because of the ruffled sleeves, knee-length skirt, and deep V on the neckline and at the back. Gold embroideries of stars, as we’d like to see them from the ground, are printed all over. If you’re a big fan of stargazing, this dress will give you a picture of the night sky all day.
VALENTINO Printed silk dress
Price: US$4,400.00
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A different variation of the lipstick waves print is achieved through this silk dress that comes with a loose fit on the sleeves and the body, only to be cinched at the waist. Its V-shaped neckline shows a little bit of skin as you’re covered up the rest of the way to your knees.
VALENTINO sheer panel dress
Price: US$3,798.00
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This Valentino dress challenges the rules for a little black dress by amping it up with the sheer and delicate lace panel and sleeves, revealing a thin strap and V-neck silhouette of the opaque black dress underneath. Tulle ruffles circle the waist as the skirt flows to a classy A-line.
VALENTINO Ruffle-trimmed wool and silk-blend mini dress
Price: US$2,890.00
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Valentino’s red dresses are always alive through its color, but this particular dress dances as you move because of its bell sleeves and peplum skirt. Other than that, it’s a plain dress that you can wear dressed down as it is, or dressed up with jewelry and the right shoes.
VALENTINO Printed cotton minidress
Price: US$1,980.00
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We knew the blue cotton-poplin mini dress couldn’t be left as it is without a red version accompanying it, and we’re partly right. This pink dress with the same lipstick waves print, cinched waist, and ruffled sleeves is a womanly dress out of our childhood dreams.
VALENTINO embellished crepe dress
Price: US$4,538.00
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We already knew Valentino could transform a t-shirt dress silhouette into something high fashion, but this red dress is more like formal wear. It could pass as an evening dress because of the luxurious crepe fabric that keeps the structure of the skirt and collar, while a floral lace separates the two in the chest area.
VALENTINO Embellished wool and silk dress
Price: US$4,750.00
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In a similar cut, this wool and silk dress copies the prim and proper structure of the last one. But it’s literally an eye candy because of its coral hue and the colorful floral embellishments on the collar and around the waist. Pair with any kind of pom pom or fringed accessories to add to the summery vibe.
VALENTINO floral print tiered dress
Price: US$6,407.00
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We dream of the day when we could finally wear only one layer of a sleeveless dress outdoors and not shiver to the bones until the end of the day. When that day comes, you should welcome it with this pink tiered dress with the Rododendro floral print, and see how far you go until you feel the urge to spin among the fresh spring blooms. We’re betting not too far.
VALENTINO Embellished lace dress
Price: US$5,500.00
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Yes, Valentino’s signature color is red, but they make some great pink dresses that answer to our summer fashion needs. The t-shirt dress is once again under the spotlight, only this time, it’s with scalloped hems on the sleeves and the skirt. Interesting butterfly appliqués feature a sword as the insect’s body and beaded wings with “Love Blade” embroidered on them.
VALENTINO panelled lace dress
Price: US$5,238.00
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The Spring Summer 2018 collection had some inspiration from athleisure and it’s evident in this white lace dress with green panels. It’s not your usual Valentino dress, but it nails the concept even with an extremely feminine fabric. You can even wear this with your favorite kicks or sock boots.
From plain wardrobe staples to experimental designs to elegant evening wear, Valentino has really done it all as we can see in these dresses from their most recent collections. With this expansive list, the only hard decision you’ll have to make is which ones to get as it’s not hard to fall in love with every single one. But once you have them, it’s game time. You’ll be armed and ready for the spring and summer, so let the seasons begin already!
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- 7 Gorgeous Designer Dresses For Your First Date
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Featured image credit: Sorbis, magicinfoto / Shutterstock.com
