It’s Paris Fashion week right now so I thought I would start the week off on a fashionable note. There is a gorgeous new book out now that pays homage to the ultimate king of fashion, Valentino, who also recently celebrated his 45th Anniversary in the business with a three days of decadent parties in Rome.

“Signed by the legendary designer himself who is renowned for his sophisticated red carpet gowns, Una Grande Storia Italiana – Valentino Garavani documents Valentino’s illustrious career through an extensive selection of archive images and newspaper articles as well as interviews with his closest friends and collaborators from Vanity Fair special correspondent Matt Tyrnauer. With contributing authors including US Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, renowned fashion journalist Suzy Menkes and actor Rupert Everett, it’s sure to be a good read – but only if you can get your hands on a copy. Retailing at $1000 and limited to a print run of just 2000, it’s a collector’s item for any fashionista with each book individually numbered and finished in an elegant six-colour silk screen-printed book cloth, presented in a clamshell box, also in silk cloth and tinted in Valentino Red.”

Sounds like a fashionable read to me, especially since Valentino has just announced his retirement from fashion. Former Gucci designer Alessandra Facchinetti will replace Valentino at the fashion house and will be in charge of the couture and ready-to-wear collections, as well as the RED and Roma lines, once Valentino steps down in January. So sad.