La Vita Valentino

Legendary designer Valentino is the subject of a new documentary, "Valentino: The Last Emperor." He spoke with Nicki Gostin about the fashionable life. Excerpts:

Do you still design clothes?
Not "fashion" fashion. I'm preparing the opening of the opera "La Traviata" at the Bolshoi in Moscow, and it's a new project that I love.

Do you miss designing at all?
No … today, fashion is much more the brand product and precise borders. You cannot do this and you cannot do that.

Are there any young designers whom you like?
I like very much the American young designers, like Marc Jacobs, because he has a new vision ... They have a relaxing attitude towards fashion, which is probably more right today than the stiff couture.

How old were you when you started sketching?
I was 6 or 7 ... In school, I couldn't study, I was just thinking about clothes. I was thinking about designing. There were sketches all around the mathematical formulas.

What's your No. 1 fashion tip?
Women should have a bit of individuality, not to copy too much what people tell them.