Robert Valentine has spearheaded branding and advertising campaigns for a multitude of prestigious brands, including Fortune 500 companies, fashion houses, artisans, celebrities, and lifestyle personalities. He has also launched a host of notable brands, including Real Simple (the most successful magazine launch in Time, Inc.’s history); the “Chic Simple” book series (which birthed the lifestyle book category); and Martha Stewart Omnimedia, where he was an early contributor to both the magazine and cookbooks.
Before establishing The Valentine Group New York in 1991, Valentine held creative management positions with Conran’s Habitat (London), Bloomingdale’s (New York), and design art direction roles at Dayton Hudson and Donaldson’s department stores, Seitz Yamamoto Moss, and Grey Advertising in Minneapolis. He joined Toth+Co in Boston in 2010. In 2012, he formed Neue Amsterdam while performing double duty as the SVP Creative Director of RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) from 2015-2016.
In addition to his own book, “Catalog Design: The Art of Creating Desire,” co-authored with Dianna Edwards in 2001, Valentine has been published in several books and publications such as Graphis, Communication Arts, Print, and ID Magazine.
Valentine has received numerous design awards, including The Society of Publication Designers and Addy Awards. He has served on the Board of the AIGA New York Chapter (1992-93), and his work is part of the permanent collections at the Cooper Hewitt, Victoria & Albert, and Smithsonian Museums.
Valentine was bestowed an honorary doctorate by Academy of Art University President Dr. Elisa Stephens on Wednesday, May 24. He delivered the following speech to this year’s class of graduating students.