Dateline PARIS: Famed Italian Fashion designer Valentino retires from the fashion industry today. Val's gals, as his loyal customers are known, turned out in force for the show, the most glittering event on the calendar in couture week, held in a giant marquee in the grounds of the elegant Rodin museum. Guest included Eva Herzigova, Claudia Schiffer and Nadia Auermann. It all began in 1962 when his label took off as a favorite of such style icons as Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. In a tour de force dramatic ending … just when the show appeared to be over, images of a row of models in Valentino's signature red were projected onto the walls -- and then all the show's models came out in identical red gowns. In classic fashion show style Valentino took his final lap of honour blowing kisses to the crowd as they gave him a standing ovation.