PARIS, July 6 (UPI) -- Italian fashion icon Valentino is being awarded the French Legion of Honor, the country's most prestigious award, for his 45-year career in haute couture.
The award is being presented at a ceremony at the French Culture Ministry, followed by a reception hosted by Valentino at Wideville Castle outside Paris, which he restored 11 years ago, ANSA reported Thursday.
The 74-year-old Italian designer, whose full name is Valentino Garavani, said he owes his success to ignoring fashion trends. "I never offended a woman nor made her look ridiculous," he said.
Women like Jacqueline Kennedy and Marella Agnelli had such devastating elegance, he said. The problem today, he said, is too much choice.
He extolled the virtues of simplicity, saying an elegant wardrobe has just a few requirements: "a short jacket, which is also better for women with broad hips; a skirt and pair of pants which match the jacket and are of a single color; a simple dress, a 'little nothing' in blue or black; and a long evening dress which is light and flowing yet simple."
Valentino's famous clients have included Joan Collins, Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren.
