Valentino Garavani Dies Aged 93, Legendary Founder of the Valentino Fashion House

Valentino Garavani on the front row of his Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter show in 2019 alongside Benedetta Piccioli, Naomi Campbell and Gwyneth Paltrow. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer who founded the luxury house Valentino and helped define modern haute couture, has died at the age of 93, his foundation announced.

Garavani passed away at his home in Rome, surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement from the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti. Tributes quickly poured in, led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who described him as an «eternal symbol of Italian high fashion».

Born in northern Italy in 1932, Garavani trained in Paris before opening his fashion house on Rome’s Via Condotti in 1960. He rose to international fame with elegant, dramatic designs, many featuring the vivid hue that became known as «Valentino red».

Giancarlo Giametti and Valentino Garavani, pictured in 2006, were business and romantic partners for 65 years. Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

His creations were worn by some of the world’s most famous women, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett. Garavani retired in 2008 but remained an enduring presence in fashion and culture.

He is survived by his longtime partner and business collaborator Giancarlo Giammetti. His foundation said he will lie in state in Rome ahead of a funeral on January 23.

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