Designer accused of having too many goodbye parties -Being called ''rather arrogant'' by Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani, founder of the Valentino maison, apparently irritated the two designers behind the younger Dolce & Gabbana label.
Stefano Gabbana, one half of the Italian style duo, had his own snipe ready when asked about Valentino's crushing judgment of him and partner Domenico Dolce.
''Valentino has been having goodbye parties since last July. I've been working,'' he snapped, referring to the series of events organised by the Rome-based designer to end his 50-year career in fashion.
In Paris to present his final collection on French catwalks, Valentino Garavani was asked about his view of other Italian designers.
He praised Giorgio Armani as a ''revolutionary'', he said Miuccia Prada's empire-building skill was ''stupifying'' and he stressed the ''grit'' and determination of Donatella Versace.
But when asked about Dolce & Gabbana, he said they were ''shy to begin with, now rather arrogant''.
Referring in general to ''young stylists'', the 75-year-old designer said: ''Their problem is that they want to be famous straight away and then they all do the same things''.
Gabbana, 46, whose fashion house now churns out annual turnover of over a billion euros, told Radio Monte Carlo that he was indifferent to barbs from one of the biggest names in Italian fashion.
''To be quite honest, I don't care what Valentino says about us,'' he said.
Gabbana had nothing more to say about Valentino but was willing to give his opinion on a few other issues, including speculation that his friend, former supermodel Naomi Campbell, was having a fling with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
''I don't think he's her type, or vice versa. They have different tastes''.
