ROME (Diya TV) — Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer whose glamorous gowns defined red carpet style for decades, has died at the age of 93, his foundation announced Monday. Valentino, known simply by his first name, was celebrated for his signature “Valentino red” and timeless, elegant designs. He dressed generations of royals, first ladies, and Hollywood stars, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, Julia Roberts, and Cate Blanchett.
“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the Valentino Foundation said in a statement on social media.
His body will repose at the foundation’s headquarters in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday. The funeral will be held on Friday at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Piazza della Repubblica.
Valentino was born May 11, 1932, in Voghera, a small town near Milan, Italy. He credited his childhood love of cinema for sparking his interest in fashion. “I was crazy for the silver screen, I was crazy for beauty,” he said in a 2007 interview.
He studied fashion in Milan and Paris, apprenticing with designers Jean Desses and Guy Laroche before opening his own house on Rome’s Via Condotti in 1959. From the start, Giancarlo Giammetti, his lifelong partner, managed the business side, while Valentino focused on design.
Early clients included Italian film icons Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, and Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. Legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland also championed his work, helping him rise to international fame.
Valentino became synonymous with red carpet elegance. His gowns graced countless Academy Awards. In 2001, Julia Roberts wore a vintage black-and-white Valentino column gown when she accepted her Oscar for best actress. Cate Blanchett followed suit in 2004 with a butter-yellow, one-shoulder Valentino design.
He was also behind Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic long-sleeved lace dress for her 1968 wedding to Aristotle Onassis. Valentino and Kennedy remained close friends for decades, and the former first lady frequently wore his designs. Princess Diana also regularly chose Valentino gowns for public appearances.
“I know what women want,” Valentino once said. “They want to be beautiful.” His designs emphasized femininity, featuring bows, ruffles, lace, and embroidery. Valentino’s dresses were not just clothing—they were expressions of elegance and confidence.
Valentino and Giammetti lived a life as luxurious as the clients they served. Their residences included a villa in Rome, a chalet in Switzerland, a Parisian château with a million-rose garden, and a New York City apartment overlooking Central Park. They traveled widely with their six pugs and often entertained A-list celebrities such as Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Valentino’s lifestyle extended to a 152-foot yacht and a notable art collection, including works by Picasso and Miró. “For me, a woman is like a beautiful flower bouquet,” he said in 2007. “She has always to be sensational, always to please, always to be perfect.”
Valentino expanded his brand over the years, introducing ready-to-wear lines, menswear, and accessories. He sold Valentino SpA in 1998 for $300 million but remained active in design until his retirement in 2008. His house continues under new ownership, maintaining the elegance and refinement he established.
Valentino received numerous awards during his career, including the Neiman Marcus Award in 1967 and Italy’s Cavaliere di Gran Croce in 1986. His life and work were celebrated in the 2009 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, and he even made a cameo in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada.
“I hope I will be remembered as a man who pursued beauty wherever he could,” Valentino said in a 2005 interview. “But when we are done, we are done. And that will be the end of it. Finito.”
Valentino Garavani’s designs, lifestyle, and influence on fashion remain timeless. His vision shaped how generations of women dressed for life’s most glamorous moments.
