Fashion legend Valentino retires

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/6978661.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Italian fashion designer Valentino, who has dressed some of the world's most glamorous women, has announced that he is to retire.

The 75-year-old has said he would step down in January. He celebrated 45 years in the industry this summer.

The Valentino fashion house is one of the world's most famous luxury brands.

Valentino's creations made him the designer of choice for the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor.

He will present his last ready-to-wear collection in Paris in October and a haute couture collection in January.

"It's the perfect moment to say adieu to the world of fashion," the designer, whose career kicked off in the 1960s, said in a statement.

"Even as a young boy, my passion was to design, and I have been very lucky to be able to do what I have loved all my life. There can be few greater gifts than that," he said.

"I am especially grateful that I have been able to keep my own style over the decades, in spite of the many changes that have taken place in the world of fashion and in its business."

He said his future would be "filled with new interests and challenges".

"I realise the house that carries my name will go through some changes but I wish to think that the team of designers of the various lines - some of whom have been working by my side of many years - will make me proud of Valentino's products," he added.