Revealed: the secret of designer Valentino’s perma-tan

Many have been by baffled by the Italian fashion designer Valentino's all-year-round mahogany tan. But now his secret is out. His skin, it now seems clear, is not burnished by the natural rays of the sun or even a sunbed, but by an over-generous application of an artificial tanning product.

This became apparent on Tuesday evening when Valentino, 76, attended the opening night of the New York City Ballet's new season and bumped into the actress Sarah Jessica Parker (pictured with Valentino), star of Sex And The City.

After embracing the fashion designer, one side of the actress's face (insert right) developed an orangey smudge. "It was a terrible moment," commented   fellow guest. "No one wanted to tell Sarah because Valentino might have heard and been upset. He's really proud of the way he looks."

Indeed, he is. For while his skin tone is a source of considerable amusement to his critics – one famously described him as a renegade Oompa-Loompa from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – it has contributed, along with his silvery bouffant hair, to an image that has made him one of the most recognisable figures in the fashion industry. ·