Early life

Valli obtained his education from one of Rome's Vatican

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 schools, during a conservative childhood. On his office mantelpiece are photographs of Penelope Cruz

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...

, Queen Rania, Astrid Munoz

Astrid Muñoz

Astrid Muñoz is a Puerto Rican model.-Early years:Muñoz was the first of three siblings born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her father, Teodoro was a nuclear engineer and her mother, Astrid, a retired executive secretary. They were both strict in their upbringing of Muñoz, who received her primary and...

 and one of him as a youth taken with Pope John Paul I

Pope John Paul I

John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...

. In the picture Valli is wearing turquoise shorts. Viewing a black and white TV at the age of five, he recalls drawing Italian TV presenters in color, attempting to guess the colors of their clothes.

By the time he was in art school he sketched copies of drawings made by Yves Saint Laurent. He began to comprehend how a silhouette

Silhouette

A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...

 gave a designer a certain identity. He got his first job in fashion working with Cecilia Fanfani planning couture

Haute couture

Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...

 shows in Rome. A job in public relations with Roberto Capucci

Roberto Capucci

Roberto Capucci is an Italian fashion designer, known for his extravagant and ingeniously constructed outfits.-Biography:...

 led to a promotion to the design staff.

Career

Valli credits his work with Capucci with teaching him about the nuances in the relationship between atelier

Atelier

Atelier is the French word for "workshop", and in English is used principally for the workshop of an artist in the fine or decorative arts.Atelier may also refer to:* The Atelier Method of art instruction...

and master

Master

Master or Masters are terms denoting some kind of rank or status, and may refer to:-Ranks and titles:* Master craftsman in the Medieval guilds* Master , a title...

as well as the fundamental technical aspects of color and volume. From there he found employment with Fendi

Fendi

Fendi is an Italian high fashion house best known for its "baguette" handbags. It was launched in 1925 as a fur and leather shop in Rome, but today is a multinational luxury goods brand owned by LVMH...

 and Krizia

Krizia

Krizia is a manufacturer and designer of handbags and clothes, founded by Mariuccia Mandelli in 1950 in Bergamo, Italy.Various Krizia labels are created every year like menswear, knitwear, handbags, and perfume...

. In 1997 he was appointed art director of fashion for Emanuel Ungaro

Emanuel Ungaro

Emanuel Ungaro is a French fashion designer.-Early life:Ungaro's Italian father fled to France from Francavilla Fontana of Brindisi province because of the fascist uprising in Italy...

 ready-to-wear

Ready-to-wear

Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is the term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame. Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items which are not clothing.Ready-to-wear has...

. In 2001 he earned a promotion to art director of Ungaro's "rtw" (ready-to-wear) and younger Ungaro "Fever" lines.

In March 2003 Valli introduced a disco-flavored line in Paris, France. His designs featured flouncy chiffon minidresses over leggings, cigarette pants, and an ample amount of fur. Spurned by the house of Ungaro in 2004, he introduced an uninhibited collection in Paris after starting his own line with Italian licensee Gilmar, in March 2005. His first solo collection included dresses with polka dots and a bubble skirt which reminded onlookers of
the work of Stefano Pilati

Stefano Pilati

Stefano Pilati is an Italian fashion designer. Since 2002, he has been the head designer of the fashion house Yves Saint Laurent.-Career:...

, a designer for Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent (brand)

Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...

.

His more realistic creations included a beige shirtdress with black brushstrokes at the hem and a blouse with arm openings which expanded to the waist. The latter garment was tucked into tailored gray shorts.

During his stay with Ungaro he began to dress his celebrity friends, which enhanced his fan base. He credits early deliveries, reliable quality, and a disciplined regard for consumer needs, for the growth of his own brand.

In July 2011, the designer showed his very first haute couture collection in Paris. The show met profound critical acclaim from the fashion community, being hailed by journalists as a significant achievement. On October 26, 2011, the designer's exclusive limited time collection for Macy's will drop.

Style

For the March 2007 Paris fashion show Valli introduced loose and ample coats which were finely tailored with draped panels that undulated away from the body. His suits were shown with Pilgrim hats. Valli fashioned his suits to be lean and long to the knees, widening at the ankles.