Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani, whose name became synonymous with timeless glamour and impeccable elegance, has died at the age of 93, according to an announcement from his foundation on Monday. He passed away at his home in Rome, surrounded by loved ones. The cause of death was not immediately known.
The foundation said in a statement shared on Instagram: “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” later adding that “Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the late fashion icon on X, calling him an ” undisputed master of style and elegance and eternal symbol of Italian high fashion. Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything.”
Born on May 11, 1932, in the northern Italian town of Voghera, Valentino came from a comfortable family background. He often credited his childhood fascination with cinema for shaping his aesthetic sensibility and setting him on a path toward fashion. After studying fashion in Milan and Paris, Valentino honed his craft in the 1950s under renowned Paris designers Jean Desses and Guy Laroche. In 1959, he returned to Italy and opened his own fashion house on Rome’s Via Condotti, laying the foundation for what would become one of the most influential luxury brands in the world.
Valentino rose to prominence alongside contemporaries like Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld, representing a generation of designers who built their reputations before fashion became dominated by corporate structures and global marketing. From the outset, Valentino worked closely with his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti, who managed the business side of the label while the designer focused on creativity and cultivating elite clientele. Despite early financial struggles fueled by Valentino’s extravagant tastes, the house soon flourished, attracting prominent admirers such as Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.
His luxurious eveningwear made him a red-carpet favorite in Hollywood. Among his most memorable moments was Julia Roberts’ appearance in a vintage black-and-white Valentino gown when she won the Academy Award for best actress in 2001, and Cate Blanchett’s butter-yellow, one-shouldered Valentino dress when she claimed her Oscar in 2004. Beyond awards ceremonies, Valentino designed the long-sleeved lace gown Jacqueline Kennedy wore to marry Aristotle Onassis in 1968, a look that helped Valentino become the first Italian designer to open a boutique in New York in 1970. Kennedy remained a close friend for years and frequently wore his designs, as did Diana, Princess of Wales.
Over time, Valentino expanded his brand into ready-to-wear, menswear and accessories, building a global luxury empire. In 1998, Valentino and Giammetti sold the label to an Italian holding company for an estimated $300 million, though Valentino continued designing for another decade. He celebrated his 45th year in fashion in 2007 with a lavish, three-day celebration in Rome, culminating in a grand ball at the Villa Borghese. He retired the following year, with leadership of the house passed through several hands, including Alessandra Facchinetti and later Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. Piccioli departed in 2024 and was succeeded by Alessandro Michele. Today, the brand is majority-owned by Qatar’s Mayhoola, with Kering holding a significant minority stake.
Valentino’s influence has been widely celebrated through major exhibitions, including a retrospective at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and the acclaimed 2008 documentary “Valentino: The Last Emperor.” In 2011, he and Giammetti also launched a “virtual museum,” offering digital access to hundreds of his most iconic designs.
Valentino will lie in state in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday at PM23, a cultural and exhibition space in Rome created by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, according to his foundation. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
Editorial credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock.com
