LVH Art speaks with Tastemaker and Art Patron Giancarlo Giammetti on PM23, Valentino and the Art of Legacy

LVH Art sits down with iconic Valentino Co-founder Giancarlo Giammetti to discuss the launch of PM23, his enduring partnership with Valentino, and the legacy of a life devoted to beauty.

This month, LVH Art interviews Giancarlo Giammetti, a name already legendary in the fashion world for co-founding the iconic Maison Valentino. While Valentino Garavani was the creative force behind the designs, Giancarlo was the architect behind the scenes: securing the best time slots at fashion weeks, identifying key financial and strategic opportunities, and providing unwavering support to Valentino throughout their decades-long partnership. More than just a business partner, Giancarlo was Valentino’s protector, confidant and friend. 

Now, Mr. Giammetti is making a significant impact on the art scene as well with the grand opening of PM23, the space which will host the activities of the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti in Rome. The ambitious new location, named after its prestigious address at Piazza Mignanelli 23, is located next to the iconic Valentino headquarters and near historic places related to the duo, such as Via Gregoriana or Via Condotti. While the Fondazione was established in 2016 by Valentino and Giancarlo to safeguard the Valentino legacy, champion creativity, and support charitable and educational initiatives, it is only this year that they have opened a physical space.
 
The inaugural exhibition, titled Orizzonti | Rosso (Horizons | Red) curated by the esteemed Pamela Golbin and Anna Coliva, is a beautiful journey through both fashion and art. The exhibition closes August 31st. As the title implies, the show features only red garments and artworks. After all, red is a colour inextricably linked with Valentino’s identity. As Pamela Golbin told us, “Valentino Garavani is the only couturier to have created a distinct red oeuvre within his body of work, making the colour a hallmark of his identity.” The exhibition opens with the iconic Fiesta dress from Valentino’s 1959 debut collection. Directly opposite stands his final red design from 2008, creating what Golbin describes as “a fitting counterbalance.”

The artworks in the exhibition are from the private collection of Mr. Valentino Garavani and Mr. Giancarlo Giammetti, as well as loans from around the world.

LVH Art: Given that the colour red is so intrinsically linked with the Valentino brand, it’s fitting that your inaugural exhibition is titled Orizzonti | Rosso. Can you share when and where this iconic association with red first began? What is it about the colour red that you and Mr. Valentino finds so special?”

Giancarlo Giammetti: Valentino’s love for red started with a moment he never forgot—as a young student at the opera in Barcelona, he spotted a woman in red velvet who stood out from everyone else. That image of elegance and confidence stuck with him. For him, red wasn’t just a colour; it symbolised strength, beauty, and presence. It reminded him of the drama of the stage, of passion, power, and unforgettable moments. He often said that the woman in red became a kind of goddess in his mind. 

Valentino’s Red is more than a color. Over decades, it has become a symbol of elegance, of strength, and of timeless femininity. It felt like the perfect starting point. 

This exhibition is our way of saying that beauty still matters — perhaps now more than ever. It has the power to uplift, to connect, to inspire. And that is precisely what we hope people take with them after visiting PM23.

LVH Art: When did you first meet Mr. Valentino, and at what point did you both realize you shared a vision strong enough to build one of the most iconic fashion houses in history?

Giancarlo Giammetti: My encounter with Valentino, in the summer of 1960 at the Café de Paris on Via Veneto, was completely unexpected—but it changed both our lives. At the time, I was a young architecture student, spending the afternoon there with some friends. Valentino had just returned from Paris and spoke to me in French—something he still does to this day. We exchanged only a few words, but it was immediately clear to me that he had something truly special. By the end of the evening, I offered him a ride in my little Fiat. During that short drive, we discovered we were both planning to spend part of the summer in Capri. Ten days later, we ran into each other again on the island. 

I was very young then, but not long after, I made the most important decision of my life: I left university to devote myself entirely to Valentino’s vision. The atelier was going through a challenging period, but together we found the strength to persevere and grow. That chance meeting was the beginning of everything. From that moment on, we were inseparable, and what we built over the years was something truly unique—based on shared values, deep friendship, mutual trust, and a common vision.

LVH Art: You were born in Rome, a city that also holds special meaning for the Valentino brand. What do you believe makes Rome so special? Do you think the city is growing as a cultural and creative centre?

Giancarlo Giammetti: Rome, the city where I was born, has always held a special place in my heart. It’s a city of extraordinary beauty and timeless charm, where history speaks from every stone, and yet, it never stops evolving. Over the years, I’ve watched it open up more and more to contemporary art, design, and fashion, becoming a space where tradition and innovation coexist in a truly unique way. 

What I find most inspiring is Rome’s ability to embrace the future without losing its soul. From the classical grandeur of its monuments to the energy of its emerging creative scene, the city continues to surprise me. It’s not just a backdrop—it’s the city where our story began, it’s a living, breathing part of the story we’ve built, and we’ll continue to build, through our work and through our Fondazione.

LVH Art: Speaking of the Fondazione, could you tell more about its mission and what makes it unique?

Giancarlo Giammetti: The Fondazione was created in 2016 out of a genuine desire to give back. Valentino and I felt a strong responsibility to preserve our legacy and, more importantly, to turn it into something that could inspire and support others. Our mission is grounded in the idea of beauty—not just in a visual sense, but as a transformative force capable of educating, uplifting, and creating positive change. 

That vision has come to life through many projects: from supporting pediatric care and research at hospitals like Bambino Gesù and Policlinico Gemelli in Rome, to support the Teatro Valentino Garavani in Voghera, and most recently, launching our cultural space PM23. 

What makes the Fondazione unique is its independence and personal commitment—we support what we truly believe in. Because we are convinced that beauty, when shared, has the power to create even more beauty.

LVH Art: Orizzonti | Rosso features 50 iconic Valentino designs alongside 30 art masterpieces. You could have exclusively showcased dresses, so why did you include art as well? In your view, how are art and fashion connected?

Giancarlo Giammetti: From the very beginning, I knew that Orizzonti | Rosso had to be more than just a showcase of Valentino’s iconic creations. Fashion has always been a form of art in its own right, but for us, it has also always existed in dialogue with other disciplines: painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, movies. Including art in the exhibition felt natural, even necessary. It’s a way of showing how inspiration flows freely between creative worlds, how a silhouette can echo a brushstroke, or a colour can carry the same emotional weight in a dress as in a canvas. Art and fashion are connected by the same desire: to express, to move, to leave a mark.

LVH Art: In one room stands the first red dress designed by Mr. Valentino, the hourglass-shaped cocktail dress “Fiesta” dating back to 1959, together with his last, from the couture spring 2008 show. What does it mean to you to present these two iconic moments side by side, and what story do you hope they tell together?

Giancarlo Giammetti: Placing the “Fiesta” dress from 1959 next to Valentino’s final red gown from 2008 was one of the most meaningful choices we made with the fashion curator Pamela Golbin. These two pieces are like bookends of an extraordinary journey. One represents the very beginning—a young designer’s bold vision, full of promise and passion. The other is the culmination of a career built on discipline, elegance, and innovation. Together, they tell a story of continuity and evolution, of unwavering identity through time.

LVH Art: You founded the foundation in 2016. When did you first recognize the need for a multidisciplinary space to fulfil the foundation’s mission—and why was this so important to you?

Giancarlo Giammetti: The idea of creating a multidisciplinary space was something that grew over time, as I reflected on the mission of our Fondazione. Since the beginning, I felt a responsibility not only to preserve the legacy of our work, but to offer something forward-looking… something that could inspire new generations. A space like PM23 allows us to do exactly that: bring together fashion, art, culture, and education under one roof. It’s not a museum, it’s not a gallery, nor a museum, it’s a place for ideas, encounters, and experimentation. That openness was very important to me. To us.

LVH Art: What was the very first artwork you purchased for yourself?

Giancarlo Giammetti: My first artwork was a Lucio Fontana canvas. I was very young, and when I brought it home, I remember my father asked me: ‘When are you going to unwrap it?’ He thought the cut was just packaging! That moment never left me. From that day on, collecting art wasn’t just about beauty, it became a way to collect emotions, memories, a personal journey, and what I like the most.

LVH Art: You and Mr. Valentino are both known for your impressive art collections. How would you describe your collection today?

Giancarlo Giammetti: Over the years, both Valentino and I have built our collections with great passion and curiosity. Our taste has naturally evolved, but one thing has always remained constant: we are drawn to pieces that tell a story, that have emotional or historical weight. Today, my collection spans classical and contemporary works, design objects, and photography. I don’t follow trends; I follow instinct and what I like. Art has always been a source of inspiration and reflection for me, and I like to surround myself with pieces that evoke something personal and in a way meaningful to me.

LVH Art: You mentioned that showing the exhibition and space to Mr. Valentino two days before the public opening was very emotional. Can you describe what made that moment so special for you?

Giancarlo Giammetti: Yes, showing the exhibition and the PM23 space to Valentino before anyone else was a deeply emotional moment for me. We have shared so many milestones in our lives, but this one felt different. It was intimate and quiet walking through a space that was created with a scope and intention, to celebrate beauty, creativity, and everything we’ve stood for over the decades. Seeing his reaction, the way he connected with the works, and with the spirit of the exhibition—it was like opening a new chapter. It reminded me of why we started all of this in the first place.