Background

Anthony [Tony] Valentine is the founding principal of Valentine Manufacturing. With an industrial design degree from Pratt Institute and over 20 years of experience in the display industry, Tony is the rare blend of manufacturing and branding. After designing, engineering and manufacturing products that spanned the industries of consumer goods, beauty, and fashion, Tony joined the Revlon Corporation where he was responsible for designing and developing packaging and merchandising. With many successes at Revlon, he was named Global Vice President of Creative Marketing with responsibility for the image of all Revlon Brands.

With a growing desire to manufacture and distribute his own product line, combined with a love for shoes, Tony left Revlon in 1995 to start his own shoe label. His first endeavor into the shoe business was with the support of Barney’s New York with a Woman’s shoe collection. That same Collection was featured in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. In 1999, Tony was further recognized with The Council of Fashion Designers of America’s coveted CFDA Accessory Designer of The Year Award. The Valentine shoe label grew to rapid distribution in all Neiman Marcus stores, Bergdorf Goodman, Isetan Japan, L’Eclaireur Paris, Joyce HK and many other retailers worldwide. Tony partnered with a family owned shoemaker in Florence, Italy and reshaped the factory to understand and produce fashion forward shoes design. He and the family remain close friends and the factory has continued making shoes for Dolce Gabbana and Alexander Wang.

After 12 accomplished seasons of making shoes, Tony and his wife decided to move back to New York from Paris in 2002 to start a family. In 2003 Tony partnered with his close friend and colleague Hank Lombardi in a Brooklyn based display factory to produce retail merchandising, fixtures and displays primarily in the beauty industry. In 2005, Tony started Valentine Manufacturing and it has become widely recognized throughout the industry for its unmatched ability to create, develop and manufacture displays with a keen understanding of a brand’s image. Valentine Manufacturing's client list includes Estee Lauder, Shiseido and Lancome.

Press Credits Include:

The New York Times [personal profile], Harper’s Bazaar, Elle Magazine, Italian Vogue, Dutch Magazine [personal profile], Essence Magazine [personal profile], Surface Magazine [personal profile], Black Enterprise Magazine [personal profile]