Valentino Garavani ''hated'' his designs from the 1980s.

The 82-year-old fashion legend - who founded his eponymous label Valentino in 1959 - has confessed he despised the collections he created throughout the period, claiming they were ''terrible'' and ''out of proportion''.

Valentino - who has dressed countless stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and former first lady JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS in the past - told Fern Mallis during an interview for her 'Fashion Icons' series: ''I hated those dresses in the '80s, they were out of proportion with shoulders that didn't belong to the fit, they were all terrible, terrible!

''The shoes were not good -- I never liked it.''

Although Valentino doesn't look back fondly on his '80s collections, he sees the period as an exception in an otherwise flawless career.

The Italian-born designer admitted he never suffered from back stage nerves or worried about how critics would receive his collections as he maintained complete confidence in his visions.

He explained: ''I was always preparing my shows with lots of belief, I believed in my dresses so much that every day, every moment backstage, I was always very happy.''