VALENTINA SCHLEE: The Forgotten Couturier Who Dressed Greta Garbo

Valentina Schlee was one of the most distinctive figures in American fashion history, yet her name has largely disappeared from the story of twentieth-century couture. Ukrainian-born and based in New York, Valentina built an extraordinary career dressing actresses, society women, and some of the most photographed women of her era — including Greta Garbo. Known simply as Valentina, she created an unmistakable vision of elegance built on dramatic silhouettes, extraordinary fabrics, restraint, and individuality. Her Madison Avenue salon became part of New York’s sophisticated fashion world, while her own appearance helped turn the designer herself into a fashion personality. This fashion history essay explores Valentina Schlee’s career, her approach to American couture, her relationship with Hollywood and New York society, and her complicated connection with Greta Garbo. Garbo became associated not only with Valentina’s clothes but also with Valentina’s husband, George Schlee, creating one of the strangest intersections of fashion, celebrity, friendship, and private life in twentieth-century New York. 00:00 Valentina Schlee: The Forgotten American Couturier 00:58 Valentina Schlee: From Kyiv to New York 02:30 Valentina and the Rise of American Couture 04:32 Valentina’s Fashion Philosophy and Famous Clients 06:40 Greta Garbo and Valentina Schlee 08:15 Greta Garbo, George Schlee and Valentina 08:50 Valentina Schlee’s Legacy in Fashion History One Fashion Question explores twent