Valentino, We Hardly Knew Ya

So it finally happened... Valentino announced his retirement. Of course he's not gone yet. He's going to stick around and design a few more collections. Does he really need another spring/summer collection under his belt? Or one last haute couture bow? Well, probably. Bows are always better when your fans know it's your last and I'm sure he wouldn't want to miss his standing ovations. But more than that, I think he's sticking around to pass on words of wisdom to his successor. We still don't know who that is -- my money is still on Proenza Schouler for reasons I mentioned before, but the former Gucci and Miu Miu designer Alessandra Facchinetti seems to be the bookies choice right now. What about Val? I'm pretty convinced he wanted Zac Posen. But Zac's name seems to have fallen out of the running entirely and since Permira bought the Valentino Fashion Group, which owns Hugo Boss, M Missoni and Marlboro Classics as well as a 45 per cent stake in Proenza Schouler, he probably doesn't have much of a say.

Losing Val is a big blow in a year of big blows. He's really the last of he old guard. Yeah, there's Karl Lagerfeld, he's the same age, but he has never really had success designing under his own name. When Karl steps down what will happen to Chanel will be the big question. Seeing Val today -- with the perma tan and the impeccable suits -- it is almost impossible to remember that when he hit the fashion scene he was as edgy and as much a part of the hip scene as Henry Holland today. When he and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti first came to New York they made the gossip pages when the Plaza Hotel wouldn't let them in because they were wearing Nehru collars and no ties. He still throws a great party, though he's never there late, but the best thing about Valentino (aside from the clothes of course) has to be his quotes. Here are some of my favorites:

On the mini skirt depate of the 1960s: "It was a big disaster. It's better not to think about it."

On the 1980s: "The women, they bought dresses like peanuts-- without thinking."

On the 1990s and grunge: "They [his young customers] love to have beautiful dresses and to come to see the shows. They grew up in a stage--from the middle '80s to the middle '90s--where the look was either minimalism or this dirty, grungy look. They never knew what was beauty."

On the 2000s bare legs in winter trend: "Oh, the things I have seen... the ladies standing outside the Ritz in winter with their blue legs ..."

Ciao Val, we'll miss you.