Valentino Then and Now
Maison Valentino is famous for its covet-worthy accessories, like the exceedingly popular Rockstud collection, which balances tradition and innovation. The Italian fashion house originated in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti. Today, there are 175 boutiques worldwide, providing its celebrity clientele and collectors a contemporary vision of fashion and style.
Maison Valentino encompasses distinct divisions: Haute Couture, Prêt-à-porter, Valentino Garavani and miscellaneous assorted goods, such as furs and sunglasses. Valentino Garavani refers to the House’s accessories collections. Bags, belts, bijoux (including necklaces and earrings), shoes and small leather goods fall under this category.
Materials and Craftsmanship of the Valentino Garavani Handbag
Valentino fans value the brand for its artisanal, handmade craftsmanship and discreetly opulent style, which show up in its handbag designs. Contributing to Valentino handbags’ richness, materials like grainy calfskin leather, Nappa leather, durable nylon and metal chainmail add luxury to every piece. When shopping for a new or pre-owned Valentino bag, collectors can expect premium materials and the highest artistry.
Valentino accessories’ trademark color palettes include black, blush pink, red and white. Bright pinks, browns, metallics and tans are also readily available; rare colors, such as blue or green, show up less frequently.
Valentino Rockstud and Rockstud Spike Handbags
Valentino’s use of pyramidal stud accents is prolific and synonymous with the fashion house. Brand enthusiasts can choose from the iconic Rockstud, Rockstud Spike or Roman Stud collections, each of which expresses Valentino’s contemporary “punk couture” essence through the characteristic pointed embellishments.
Valentino’s most iconic handbag collection, the Rockstud, features the House’s familiar pyramidal stud motif on grainy calfskin leather. On the Rockstud, Valentino highlights key design details, like its envelope flap or the intersection of quilted diamond stitches with pyramid accents. Since the motif’s introduction in 2010, the studs have adorned virtually every Valentino item, from clothing and shoes to accessories and handbags. Rockstud handbag silhouettes encompass all shapes and sizes: bucket bags, clutches, crossbody bags, hobo bags, shoulder bags, top handle bags, totes and zip pouches, to name a few.
The Rockstud Spike offers a fresh take on the fan-favorite Rockstud. In place of classic pyramid studs, the Rockstud Spike utilizes petite pyramids known as spikes. The House usually makes the Rockstud Spike handbags using Nappa leather, rather than the grainy calfskin leather seen on the original Rockstud.
Valentino Roman Stud Handbags
An evolution of the Rockstud, the Roman Stud handbags are distinct with their oversized pyramidal accents and frequent use of large-scale diamond-quilted Nappa leather. Roman Stud silhouettes and sizes include the handle bag in small and medium sizes, the shoulder bag in medium and large sizes, petite minaudières and large tote bags. Roman Stud accessories appear in grainy calfskin leather, Nappa leather and metal chainmail.
Valentino Garavani Handbag Collections: Logo Edition
In addition to its studded series, Valentino updates its offering with logo-centric collections every few seasons. Valentino VSling handbags spotlight classic top handle or shoulder flap leather bags with ton-sur-ton, or tone-on-tone, cutout “V” logo clasps. Valentino VRing handbags possess a similar clasp to the VSling. The clasp is shiny metal on these styles and has an extra ring attachment with a leather strip tassel. Collectors admire Valentino’s Supervee handbags for their bold display of logo love. On these models, a super-sized “V” cutout clasp known as the VLogo Signature covers a significant portion of the bag’s front, creating a striking graphic effect for these rich leather or raffia designs.
Valentino Garavani Men’s Bags
Valentino also provides functional luxury bags for men. Valentino Identity collection features large pyramidal studs at each corner of the bag and includes tall leather totes, canvas tote bags, small leather crossbody bags and leather hobo bags. Valentino infuses the VLTN collection with urban sophistication through white, black or rainbow-hued VLTN lettering boldly printed on street-style leather or nylon carryalls. Finally, Valentino's VLOGO Signature collection displays the brand’s maxi VLOGO metal logo ornament on men’s backpacks, belt bags, and crossbody bags. This series is available in nylon or leather.
Valentino Handbags’ Value and Collectibility
Values of Valentino handbags vary widely across secondary marketplaces, depending on the newness, size and desirability of a particular style. However, if you’re shopping via retail small Rockstud handle bags start at $1,650 with medium totes fetching $2,690 and hobo bags selling for $2,550.
Logo-centric bags, such as the VSling, sell in the 30-66% range of their retail value, representing a great mix for experienced and new collectors. Due to Valentino handbags’ popularity, veteran collectors are likely to find the desired piece. Simultaneously, shoppers new to the brand have plenty of well-priced items to try out before committing to costlier purses and handbags.