If you were wondering whether Valentina Ilardi is actually the name of the real Ilardi, the woman on the left in the famous black and white World Magazine photo, the answer is yes. Valentina is a model and actress, and the initials “IL” are not used by the star herself but by the company that she works for. In this sense, Valentina is a type of model-actress hybrid-businesswoman.
When asked about her profession, Valentina answered: “I’m a fashion designer. I am married to a man of Italian descent who has been with me since he was 18. He is the father. We have a beautiful daughter, Luca. The surname Ilardi is my birth name and it means courage in Italian.”
Valentina is not alone in pursuing a successful profession as a model and actress. She has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including John Travolta, Lisa Marie, Ava Gardner, and Kate Capshaw. Even though many people today may associate the term “model” with supermodels, some people consider an average height model to be a model, because the term model does not denote high quality or beauty. Valentina’s decision to use her name in her resume and by her public appearances, indicates that modeling is part of her life. She is married to a man of Italian descent who is the father to her daughter, Luca.