The garments I create, being of high tailoring, are in most cases worn at important occasions such as gala events, the presentation of awards, ceremonies, national and international weddings…”
Salvatore Valentini, Designer
Ever since childhood, Salvatore Valentini had the goal of becoming a top Italian designer, and at the age of eighteen the dream began to take shape with the opening of his first boutique. Salvatore began working with high profile clients by creating outfits for their weddings and other special occasions. Here we discuss his journey through the fashion world to becoming one of the most notable Italian designers of today…
C&B: “Salvatore, Italy is a huge force in the world of fashion; what role does your culture play in your own design aesthetic?”
SV: “Without hesitation: EVERYTHING! I don’t wish to appear presumptuous, but I don’t think I’d be able to find the inspiration that my beloved land, Puglia, offers me in any other country…”
Before I became involved in the world of VIP events, collaborating with various celebrities and personalities, I spent many years studying fashion and style…”
Salvatore Valentini, Designer
C&B: “How do you approach designing a custom piece for one of your high-profile clients – what are the first steps?”
SV: “Before starting to work on a stylistic project I need to understand through specific questions the personality of my client, as he imagines the most important day of his life, and then move on to technical advice based on his own physique. I then study the tailor-made model best suited to the clients needs and his own anatomical measurements…”
C&B: “How do you ensure a perfect fit for each individual?”
SV: “After years of experience, we guarantee perfection in the realisation of the garment. After measuring to an almost obsessive degree, and using the anatomical cards on which we detail the measurements of the customer, we make the first outfit using a test fabric. This test ‘toile’ is made for the customer to put on and it is perfected while the customer is wearing it. Only after this very important initial phase, the actual fabric is cut. The perfect fabric has already been chosen by the customer, only after having the certainty of their fit. Automatically, there is no margin of error – that is our guarantee…”
C&B: “What is your favourite part of the design process?”
SV: “The part I prefer during the design is the empathy that arises between me and the client – in most cases this path, very intimate and a discovery for both parties, leads to a real friendship…”
C&B: “Can you share one of your most memorable experiences when working with your clients?”
SV: “I have several I could talk about however, for reasons of privacy, I’m unable to mention the names. Among these memories, a customer asked me to make an outfit in the same colour as the body of his Ferrari, an intense yellow, unique and original, with the interior linings like the interior of his car. This is a reason that increasingly fuels my passion for tailoring; pure creativity without limits of imagination. Everything can be achieved!”
C&B: “That sounds incredible! How do you generally balance traditional Italian fashion elements with modern trends?”
SV: “Our work cannot be separated from tradition, a legacy acquired from many years of hard work that allows us to be ready to respond to the inevitable evolutions of fashion, always starting from the past. My motto is ‘There’s no future without a past.’ I’m continuously updating my approach with the evolution of materials, fabrics, inner linings, accessory components such as buttons and other applications…”
C&B: “Talking of fabrics and applications, how do you source your materials, and which are your favourites to work with?”
SV: “For several years we have been participating as guests in the most important world fairs in the textile and accessories sector, in particular in Milan, IDEA MODA, in two annual editions, spring summer and autumn winter. In addition, we are dealers of tailoring fabrics, wool and fine silks that allow us to create unique and exclusive custom garments…”
The world of weddings is the one that most fascinates me; it intrigues me in a particular way as it makes me a participant and an integral part of the most important day of the couples life…”
Salvatore Valentini, Designer
C&B: “What is your best advice for brides when choosing their wedding attire?”
SV: “The choice of the wedding dress is one of the most delicate moments of the organisational phase of a wedding. The bride is the focus of the ceremony, she will be observed, judged, photographed – nothing can and must ever be out of place, everything must be perfect. It starts from a mythological investigation of the bride’s personality. Unlike the groom, she arrives at this moment with a very precise self-image that she has been carrying for years. Discovering and satisfying his desire is my greatest goal, studying at the same time the physicality, the context, the place where the ceremony will be held, whether in the evening or in the morning. As a result, we move on to the choice of style, model and fabrics. My advice to the bride is to choose the dress that most represents and is consistent with her soul. Only in this case will the dress capture all the emotion of the most important day of her life…”
C&B: “How do you personally handle the pressure of designing for weddings and other high-profile events?”
SV: “At the beginning of my career, the stress was very strong, difficult to manage, but over the years – with the acquisition of experience, and above all, thanks to the constant presence of collaborators with proven professionalism – I’ve become very serene today. Now every major event stimulates me in a positive way, I use my natural adrenaline to face any pressures; I view overcoming them as a challenge to myself…”
C&B: “Finally, Salvatore, which trends are you excited about in the upcoming fashion seasons?”
SV: “Fashion has always followed historical cycles, everything comes back. I believe that the ultimate elegance is simplicity, a perfect cut combined with light emanating from a high-quality fabric of Italian origin; this represents the best guarantee of the present and the future…”
*SALVATORE VALENTINI is a co-sponsor of the upcoming CITY & BEACH LIFESTYLE BEST DRESSED LIST 2025
CONTACT: http://www.salvatorevalentini.it
