Viva Valentino celebrates the 45th anniversary of his label!

What do Claudia Schiffer, Jackie Kennedy and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common? They've all been dressed and befriended by couturier Valentino, who this summer celebrates the 45th anniversary of his label. To mark the event, a series of events will take place in Rome, kicking off with the opening of a Valentino retrospective at the Ara Pacis Museum, followed by a couture show (his first in the city for 17 years) to which 1,000 glamourous guests have been invited. A book published by Taschen, titled 'A Great Italian Story', will also go on sale. At a press conference given in Rome last week, Valentino said, 'Celebrating such an important achievement in the only city in which I genuinely feel at home makes me very happy. Here in Rome I opened my first atelier, here...were my first successes.' Valentino is retiring later this year.