The Valentino brand of haute couture men’s and women’s clothing started in Rome in 1960. However, the Italian desginer, Valentino Garavani made an international debut in Florence, Italy in 1962. Known for his red Valentino dress, his early clients included Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. He sold his company in 1998 but remained active in his work until he retired in 2007. Since the brand became known as Valentino, using a “V” as the Valentino logo made the most sense
However, to convey the luxury of his designs, the font, color, and shape were chosen carefully. This article will discuss those features and changes in the Valentino logo over time.
Valentino Logo Design Elements
The Valentino logo “V” is a serif “V,” which means that it has lines at the end of the stroke, such as at the top of the letter. However, the “V” is thicker on the left side than on the right, is encircled by an oval that starts and ends from the serifs.
The Valentino logo is usually in black on a white background for simplicity and elegance.
Changes and Evolution
1. Shape
A look at Valentino labels over time shows some changes to the Valentino logo and an inconsistent use. This was especially the case in the earlier years. The current logo was created in 1968, even though the labels indicate that it was not until the mid-1980’s. However, an inconsistent use of the logo loses companies the benefits of a sales feature due to loss of brand recognition. For Valentino, it seemed to have not happened.
The 1960 logo is just a white “V” on a brown rectangle. It does not really suggest style and high-end design. Thus, they made a change. The logo on a 1970’s label has a double-lined “V” with the suggestion of a serif. It is more stylish and suggests a development toward the serif “V.” However, it was a bit too modern looking to represent the classic elegance of Valentino’s designs. Therefore, they took a step in the direction of a classic look, much like Jimmy Choo.
Therefore, the current Valentino logo has style, elegance, and the oval gives it a finished look. It has helped consumers quickly identify a Valentino design.
2. Color
As mentioned, the first label shows a white “V” on a brown rectangle. This makes the logo look somewhat muddied compared to the crisp, sophisticated look of the black-white background. Occasionally, the color of the logo and the background changes. The brand has shown itself to be flexible in term of schemes. However, the simple monocolored logo remains a staple. That’s in spite of the fact that “Valentino red” became a famous phrase due to their trademark dresses.
3. Font
The “V” on the original label is plain and chunky like a stamp or a stencil. The double-lined “V” is more stylish but possibly too modern. However, the current “V” is in the Didot family of fonts, which is considered an elegant font style. This is perfect for the Valentino haute couture brand.
Influences/Inspiration
The current Valentino “V” arrived in 1968 along with his “White Collection.” The “White Collection” cemented the designer’s reputation worldwide. From a look at labels, there is only one hint of a slight precursor to the current logo.
While it is rather basic, it’s perfect for consumer recognition. At this point in time, it takes inspiration from the very essence of the brand: elegance and high-class.
Trivia
The Red Valentino line uses the signature Valentino red color either as the background color for the label or as the color for the word “red” on the label. As mentioned, it’s one of the exceptions when the Valentino logo strays from the black and white.
“Oliver by Valentino” is the designer’s clothing line for the younger consumer. Named after one of his dogs, the label has a drawing of a pug, and the Valentino “V” logo located within the word, “Oliver”.
Valentino marketed his logo by creating some jewelry as well, even though it was not the initial purpose of the brand.
Conclusion
The Valentino logo is a black “V” that encircled by an oval with a white background. It is a crisp, simple, elegant, sophisticated, and easily recognizable design which makes it a good icon for the Valentino haute couture brand.