Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, known simply as Valentino, has died at 93 in his Roman home, with his loved ones by his side. The world mourns his loss.
The renowned Italian fashion designer is famously associated with red-carpet glamour, elegance, and romance.
Valentino’s fashion house announced his passing on social media. A public funeral will take place in Rome this week, followed by a service at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
Born in 1932 in Voghera, Italy, Valentino rose from a small-town childhood to become one of the most influential designers in the history of fashion.
After studying couture in Milan and Paris, he founded his namesake house in Rome in 1960, later becoming the first Italian designer welcomed onto the Paris haute couture calendar.
Valentino’s legacy was sealed in a series of moments over the decades that transcended fashion. For instance, Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1968 wedding dress made him a household name in America. Julia Roberts’ black-and-white Valentino gown at the 2001 Oscars, many years later, remains one of the most iconic red-carpet looks of all time.
Earlier, his signature Valentino Red shade, introduced in 1959, became so distinctive that it earned its own Pantone shade.
Known for its feminine silhouettes, exquisite tailoring, bows, lace, and unapologetic glamour, Valentino has dressed generations of royalty, Hollywood stars and cultural icons, including Princess Diana, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth Taylor.
He formally retired in 2008 after an emotional final show in Paris, leaving behind a fashion philosophy rooted in elegance, beauty and emotional connection.
Though the man is gone, the magic remains. Valentino Garavani didn’t just dress women, he gave them confidence, romance and a sense of occasion. His legacy will continue to walk the world’s most important carpets for decades to come.
Defining moments of Valentino’s reign
Valentino’s career is studded with milestones that cemented his place in fashion history. Here, we celebrate some of the most iconic moments that defined his illustrious legacy:
1. Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress (1968)
Valentino’s relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis epitomises his influence on American fashion. Among the many moments that marked his storied career is Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress from 1968.
Following the tragic assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, Jackie turned to Valentino for solace in style.
Wearing a beautiful knee-length white lace dress from his White Collection, she redefined what haute couture could mean, solidifying Valentino’s place in American fashion history.
Jackie’s affection for his work led her to commission six additional designs, an event that Valentino affectionately dubbed the “Valentino Boom”.
2. Valentino red
Few colours are as synonymous with a designer as Valentino Red is with the designer. Introduced in his debut collection in 1959, the bold, poppy-red hue, vivid and unapologetically romantic, was inspired by a teenage trip to the opera where performers wore red costumes for “Carmen”.
The colour became a hallmark of Valentino’s house, appearing in every collection thereafter. So iconic is this shade that Pantone dedicated an official colour to it.
Perhaps its most memorable moment came in his 2008 farewell show, where every model donned a red gown during the finale, a poignant tribute to his enduring signature.
3. Julia Roberts’ Oscar win in 2001
The black-and-white Valentino gown Julia Roberts wore to accept her Best Actress Oscar for “Erin Brockovich” remains one of the most iconic red-carpet looks of all time.
Part of Valentino’s 1992 collection, the gown was a study in timeless elegance, with its velvet bodice, tulle train, and silk piping.
Roberts’ triumphant moment, coupled with her radiant confidence, cemented the dress and Valentino’s genius in pop culture history.
4. Hollywood’s go-to designer
Valentino’s designs have long been staples on Hollywood’s most glamorous stages. From Anne Hathaway’s breathtaking wedding dress in 2012, an ivory silk tulle gown with a hand-painted pink train, to Scarlett Johansson’s curve-hugging red gown at the 2006 Oscars, his creations defined red-carpet luxury.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1963 archival Valentino gown at the 2019 Emmys was another testament to his enduring relevance, blending vintage charm with modern sophistication.
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5. Valentino’s cameo in “The Devil Wears Prada”
In 2006, Valentino made a memorable cameo in “The Devil Wears Prada”, playing himself alongside Meryl Streep’s iconic Miranda Priestly.
The scene was a love letter to his influence, with the crew recreating an entire runway show in Valentino’s honour. His charm and gravitas made it clear: he wasn’t just a designer; he was a cultural icon.
6. A farewell to romance 2008
Valentino’s final show in January 2008 was a grand farewell to haute couture. Held in Paris, it featured a line-up of his most exquisite designs ending with a sea of red dresses, a symbolic curtain call for a career that spanned nearly five decades.
Ever the gentleman, Valentino left the spotlight with grace, his caramel tan, perfectly coiffed hair, and tailored suits still embodying the luxury he brought to the runway.
Despite his larger-than-life persona, Valentino remained deeply human. Often photographed with his beloved pugs, he exuded a warmth that endeared him to friends and clients alike.
Alessandro Michele, the current creative director of Valentino, described him as a man of “rare delicacy” and “limitless love for beauty.”
Valentino’s passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy lives on not just in the breathtaking gowns that continue to grace red carpets but in the very fabric of modern fashion.
